Patients who have head and neck cancer can benefit from group support

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Group support helps head and neck cancer patients improve their quality of life, according to a new study.
Group support can be very helpful in cancer, in improving quality of life. Much previous research has shown this. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, now underline the value of group therapy with a new study. They surveyed a group of 47 patients with head and neck cancer, comparing those who did - and did not - attend a support group.

The head and neck cancer patients who did attend the support group were doing significantly better with eating, emotions related to their illness, and pain. The patients in this group took part in hour and a half biweekly sessions over the course of a year. The research was published by the American Academy of Otolarynology Head and Neck Surgery which is supporting the Yul Brynner Head and Neck Cancer Foundation's Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week next month. This aims to improve public awareness of these cancers, which could help with earlier diagnosis.

Source
Otolarynology - Head and Neck Surgery March 2007