Prayer and cancer support
Prayer, often defined as a means of communicating with a higher power, can serve as a source of support for cancer patients navigating the challenges of their illness. Historically embedded in various religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, prayer is used as a tool for healing and solace during difficult times. The experience of a life-threatening illness like cancer can provoke deep existential questions, leading many to seek comfort through spiritual practices. While scientific evidence on prayer's direct impact on cancer recovery remains inconclusive, studies suggest that prayer and meditation can enhance emotional well-being and provide a sense of control, which may improve overall coping mechanisms.
Research indicates that many cancer patients who engage in prayer report reduced feelings of isolation and a greater sense of purpose in their lives. Consequently, some medical professionals are increasingly recognizing the role of spirituality in patient care, integrating spiritual considerations into treatment plans. This integration might include spiritual representatives in healthcare teams and the availability of prayer spaces in medical facilities. It's essential that any incorporation of prayer respects the patient's beliefs and is approached sensitively, ensuring that patients feel comfortable with their spiritual practices alongside conventional treatments.
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Prayer and cancer support
DEFINITION: Prayer, the act of communicating with a deity or other “higher force” in which a person has faith, has helped some cancer patients cope with their disease.
History and origin: The idea of healing through faith is not new. Within most formal religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—some form of prayer has evolved as a means of communicating with a deity or spiritual being whom the faithful believe has the power to heal and provide physical and mental solace during challenging times. Spirituality, or a strong belief in a higher power, can also exist outside the boundaries of formal religion. In this case, prayer is often a communication with a higher force or energy that has powers beyond those of humans. An illness such as cancer is a powerful life event that often makes people face mortality and question the purpose and meaning of life. In many instances, this questioning leads them to prayer, spiritual growth, and a positive outlook, which helps them cope. This increased ability to cope as a result of prayer can be very helpful for patients dealing with cancer and its debilitating effects, even though it cannot cure the disease.
Scientific evidence for the mind-body connection: A growing body of research indicates that the mind exerts a powerful influence on the way a body responds to trauma and stress. Cancer creates a substantial amount of stress in the body, which can be detrimental to the recovery process. Analysis of data from an online support group of breast cancer patients revealed that those who prayed or meditated had a more positive mental outlook and seemed to be more in control of their situation. Doctors have found that patients with advanced cancer who believe in and practice prayer and meditation cope well with the trauma from the disease and are often able to find meaning in their experience.
Scientific evidence for the use of prayer alone in cancer therapy is not conclusive; however, many positive outcomes have been observed when it is used as an adjunct to conventional medical treatment. Studies on the positive correlation between prayer and recovery of patients with a strong faith in prayer have suggested that it may help speed up the recovery process. Over 56 percent of advanced-stage cancer patients used prayer and spiritual healing to improve symptoms, survival, or likelihood of cure and also sought other complementary and alternative medicine approaches, according to a study published in 2017 in the Journal of Global Oncology. Studies have also found that when advanced-stage cancer patients' medical teams addressed their spiritual needs, patients were more likely to use hospice and those who were highly religious requested less aggressive end-of-life treatments. Overall, prayer is associated with improved mental and physical health, can combat feelings of isolation, and adds meaning and purpose to patients' lives. Therefore, for patients with a strong faith, the integration of spiritual practices into their medical care can be overall very beneficial to them.
Integrating prayer in medical care: For many years, the medical community believed there was no correlation between spirituality and medicine. However, some physicians are beginning to acknowledge the existence of the mind-body connection in recovery, and a number of medical schools in the United States include a spirituality and prayer component in their medical curriculum as part of a complementary, adjunct strategy. Some hospitals include a spiritual representative as part of the patient’s cancer care team. Prayer and spirituality are an integral part of the lives of many cancer patients, and they also play an important role in dealing with issues of dying and death. Many medical institutions and physicians respect their patients’ religious beliefs and help them incorporate them into their treatment regimens.
Mechanics of integrating prayer: Prayer can be practiced in many different ways—alone or in a group, spoken silently or aloud or with the accompaniment of music, with or without affiliation with any religion. Many cancer support groups use standard forms of prayer composed by religious leaders to pray for cancer patients. In addition, many hospitals have prayer rooms and contracts with clergy from various religious organizations to cater and minister to their patients’ spiritual needs. In the twenty-first century, patients could turn to the Internet for faith-based resources and support groups as well.
If faith plays a very important role in the life of a cancer patient and is not acknowledged by the care team while making decisions for treatment, conflicts can arise and channels of communication can be closed, resulting in a stressful situation that could be detrimental to the patient’s health. When physicians inquire about and acknowledge a patient’s spiritual beliefs in a nonjudgmental, sensitive manner, they set the stage for open communication and better decision-making.
However, prayer should never be forced on patients, and spiritual practices should be incorporated into the treatment regimen only with their consent. On occasions when patients want to use prayer alone for their recovery and refuse or want to delay conventional medical treatment, it is the responsibility of the medical staff to explain the risks and serious health consequences involved in delaying or refusing treatment while simultaneously acknowledging the patient’s religious beliefs respectfully.
Bibliography
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