Spirituality and Cancer Care

Increased spiritual support may be linked to higher quality of life in cancer patients.

HealthDay (12/18, Gordon) reported, "Addressing the spiritual needs of someone with advanced cancer could be just as important as taking care of their medical needs," according to a study appearing Dec. 14 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The study of 670 patients showed that 60 percent "said that their spiritual needs either hadn't been met or were minimally supported," even though patients ranked "pain control and being at peace with God" as the two most important factors "at the end of their lives." Patients who received "greater spiritual support from their medical team" said they had "a higher quality of life as they neared death." The study also showed that "highly religious" patients who received greater spiritual support were less likely to be treated with "aggressive medical care."