{"id":22999,"date":"2023-12-01T11:17:53","date_gmt":"2023-12-01T16:17:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/?p=22999"},"modified":"2025-03-18T14:47:39","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T18:47:39","slug":"hope-and-cancer-survival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/blog\/hope-and-cancer-survival\/","title":{"rendered":"The Complex Relationship Between Hope &#038; Survival in Cancer Patients"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Recent research on the relationship between hope, health care spending, and survival in 195 advanced cancer patients found that those who had illness-related hope had better health outcomes.<\/p>\n<p>Specifically, <strong>patients who had hope about their cancer were more likely to seek regular medical care and had a clear survival advantage as a result.<\/strong> The study was conducted by researchers at Singapore&#8217;s Duke-NUS Medical School, National Cancer Centre Singapore, and Singapore General Hospital.<\/p>\n<div class=\"simple-cta border\"><div><style type=\"text\/css\">.simple-cta{margin:30px 0;position:relative}.simple-cta:before{content:\" \";position:absolute;top:0;bottom:0;width:4px;height:100%;left:0;background:linear-gradient(180deg, #0FAEBF 0%, #fff 100%)}.simple-cta>div{width:100%}.simple-cta.border>div{padding:0 0 0 24px}.simple-cta.solid:before{background:linear-gradient(180deg, #0FAEBF 0%, #EDF8F9 100%)}.simple-cta.solid>div{background:#EDF8F9;border-radius:0 10px 10px 0;padding:20px 20px 20px 24px}.simple-cta:first-child{margin-top:0}.simple-cta:last-child{margin-bottom:0}.simple-cta .heading{display:block;margin-bottom:5px}.simple-cta a[href*=\"tel\"]{display:inline-block}@media screen and (min-width: 768px){.simple-cta{text-align:center}.simple-cta>div{display:inline-block;margin:0 auto;text-align:left}}<\/style><p>Hope provides a source of strength and encouragement for patients diagnosed with <a href=\"\/mesothelioma\/\">mesothelioma cancer.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Find out more about the link between hope and cancer survival and how our team can help you find hope after a mesothelioma diagnosis.<\/p>\n<h2>Benefits of Hope for Patients with a Cancer Diagnosis<\/h2>\n<p>According to Stanford Medicine, hope can play a crucial role in supporting quality of life after a cancer diagnosis.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Here are some of the most important benefits of hope for people with cancer:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Encouraging continued treatment<\/li>\n<li>Fostering optimism for cancer-specific goals like remission, stabilization, or a cure<\/li>\n<li>Helping cope with pain and side effects<\/li>\n<li>Improving mental health<\/li>\n<li>Providing a tool for empowerment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Learn about how hope helped several mesothelioma patients and their families through treatment in our <strong>Free Mesothelioma Survivors Guide.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>How Does Hope Affect Cancer Patients With a Positive Prognosis?<\/h2>\n<p>The same study found that the factor that seemed to most affect patients\u2019 feelings of hope was their cancer <a href=\"\/mesothelioma\/prognosis\/\">prognosis<\/a>. Prognosis refers to a patient\u2019s expected health outlook, including their life expectancy.<\/p>\n<div class=\"callout-shortcode\"><style type=\"text\/css\">.callout-shortcode{background:#EDF8F9;border-radius:0 10px 10px 0;padding:20px 20px 20px 24px;margin:40px 0;max-width:860px;position:relative}.callout-shortcode:before{content:\" \";position:absolute;top:0;bottom:0;width:4px;height:100%;left:0;background:linear-gradient(180deg, #0FAEBF 0%, #EDF8F9 100%)}.callout-shortcode .callout-shortcode-heading{color:#100134;font-size:22px;display:block;margin:0 0 15px}.callout-shortcode:first-child{margin-top:0}.callout-shortcode:last-child{margin-bottom:0}.callout-shortcode .img-wrap{margin-bottom:20px}.callout-shortcode.hope>strong{padding-top:17px;padding-bottom:15px;padding-left:74px}.callout-shortcode.hope .img-wrap{left:22px;position:absolute;top:20px;width:59px}.callout-shortcode.hope .img-wrap:before{background:#fff url(\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/mh-icon-65.png);background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:70%;border-radius:30px;bottom:-10px;content:\"\";display:block;height:30px;position:absolute;right:-10px;width:30px}@media screen and (min-width: 768px){.callout-shortcode{padding:25px 25px 25px 34px}.callout-shortcode .callout-shortcode-heading{font-size:24px}.callout-shortcode .img-wrap{margin-bottom:0}.callout-shortcode.has-img{min-height:170px;padding-left:175px}.callout-shortcode.has-img .img-wrap{position:absolute;left:29px;top:25px;width:119px}.callout-shortcode.hope.has-img{padding-left:170px}.callout-shortcode.hope>strong{padding:0}.callout-shortcode.hope .img-wrap{width:109px}.callout-shortcode.hope .img-wrap:before{background-size:66%;bottom:-15px;height:42px;width:42px}}<\/style><div class=\"content\"><p>According to the study, patients with illness-related hope were those who believed they would survive for 2 years or more.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Cancer patients who received at least a 2-year prognosis had more illness-related hope \u2014 or hope related to their expected health outcome \u2014 compared to general hope.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Among patients with a more positive prognosis, researchers found that they:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Had a higher rate of seeking <a href=\"\/treatment\/\">treatment<\/a>:<\/strong> On average, cancer patients attended 6.6 more follow-up visits the year after the survey than their study counterparts with a prognosis of 1 year or less.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Had a lower mortality risk:<\/strong> Those cancer patients who felt optimistic or hopeful about their treatment had a 41% lower risk of mortality.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Spent more money on their medical care:<\/strong> Patients who believed their treatment to be curative (life extending) rather than palliative (symptom relieving) tended to spend more on treatment than others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cIf I can help give even one person a small bit of hope, then this life of mine is worth something.\u201d<\/p>\n<footer><cite><strong>&ndash; Alexis Kidd, 16+ year mesothelioma survivor<\/strong><\/cite><\/footer><\/blockquote><style type=\"text\/css\">blockquote{margin:40px 0;padding:0px 15px 0px 60px;position:relative;background-color:#fff}blockquote:before{content:\"\\e99d\";color:#fff;background-color:#0FAEBF;font-size:30px;font-family:\"mesohope\" !important;position:absolute;left:0;top:0;width:50px;height:50px;line-height:50px;text-align:center;border-radius:50%}blockquote p{margin:0}blockquote footer cite{font-size:inherit;line-height:26px;font-style:normal}@media screen and (min-width: 1024px){blockquote{padding:0px 90px 0px 85px}blockquote:before{font-size:35px;width:60px;height:60px;line-height:60px;left:0}}<\/style>\n<h2>How Does Hope Affect Patients With a Poorer Prognosis?<\/h2>\n<p>Researchers leading the study looked for evidence that hope in late-stage cancer patients would lead to greater use of health care resources across the board.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, hope did not have an equal effect on all patients. Those who had a poorer prognosis did not use health care resources more or experience survival advantages from feelings of hope.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The study identified some factors that may have played a role:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Patients with a poor prognosis did not expect to be alive long.<\/li>\n<li>Generally, they did not believe their cancer treatment would cure their disease or extend their life.<\/li>\n<li>These patients also tended to lack signs of illness-related hope.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Despite these findings, hope still has clear quality-of-life benefits for patients \u2014 regardless of their prognosis.<\/p>\n<h2>What Are the Benefits of Hope for People With Mesothelioma?<\/h2>\n<p>Because mesothelioma is so aggressive, it can lead to a loss of sense of hope in people who are newly diagnosed.<\/p>\n<p>However, <strong>maintaining hope is of the utmost importance for mesothelioma patients<\/strong>, regardless of their prognosis. Many <a href=\"\/mesothelioma\/prognosis\/survivors\/\">mesothelioma survivors<\/a> received a poor prognosis but have survived for years and even decades longer than their doctors predicted.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Some of these mesothelioma survivors include:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"\/blog\/alexis-kidd-surviving-mesothelioma\/\">Alexis Kidd<\/a>:<\/strong> Diagnosed with <a href=\"\/mesothelioma\/peritoneal\/\">peritoneal mesothelioma<\/a> at the age of 37 in 2007, Alexis had cytoreduction with HIPEC surgery and is now an 18+ year cancer survivor. Alexis was originally told she had 6 months to 2 years to live.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"\/blog\/mesothelioma-survivor-builds-a-future\/\">John Stahl<\/a>:<\/strong> In 2019, John was diagnosed with stage 4 pleural mesothelioma and given a prognosis of 12 months. He\u2019s achieved more than 4 years of survival through chemotherapy treatment and maintaining a positive attitude.<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"\/blog\/julie-19-year-mesothelioma-survivor\/\">Julie Gundlach<\/a>:<\/strong> Julie received her peritoneal mesothelioma diagnosis in 2006 after losing her father to asbestos-related lung cancer. Originally told she had 6-12 months to live, Julie never gave up hope and fought through 5 major surgeries. More than 19 years later, Julie continues to thrive and enjoy time with her family.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Learn how other patients have maintained hope throughout their cancer journey in our <strong>Free Mesothelioma Survivors Guide.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div data-vqueid=\"21915\" class=\"widget widget_oscar-vque light-blue has-img\"><style type=\"text\/css\" data-style=\"default\">.widget_oscar-vque.light-blue{margin:60px auto;line-height:26px;max-width:337px}.widget_oscar-vque.light-blue a{display:block;background:#EDF8F9;border-left:4px solid #0FAEBF;border-radius:0px 8px 8px 0px;padding:25px;color:#100134;text-decoration:none;font-size:16px;text-align:center}.widget_oscar-vque.light-blue .image-wrap{max-width:210px;margin:0 auto 15px}.widget_oscar-vque.light-blue .heading{display:block;font-size:22px;margin-bottom:10px}.widget_oscar-vque.light-blue ul{max-width:245px;list-style:none;margin:0 auto 22px;text-align:left}.widget_oscar-vque.light-blue ul li{margin:0 0 5px;position:relative;padding-left:26px}.widget_oscar-vque.light-blue ul li:before{font-family:\"mesohope\" !important;speak:none;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-transform:none;line-height:1;-webkit-font-smoothing:antialiased;-moz-osx-font-smoothing:grayscale;content:\"\\e904\";background:#0FAEBF;width:20px;height:20px;display:block;position:absolute;left:0;top:2px;border-radius:20px;color:#fff;font-size:10px;text-align:center;line-height:20px}@media screen and (min-width: 768px){.widget_oscar-vque.light-blue{max-width:620px}.widget_oscar-vque.light-blue a{padding:0}.widget_oscar-vque.light-blue a>div{display:block;display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;overflow:hidden;flex-direction:row-reverse}.widget_oscar-vque.light-blue .image-wrap{float:right;align-self:flex-end;padding:0 3%;width:47%;margin:0;max-width:none}.widget_oscar-vque.light-blue .vque-content{float:left;text-align:left;padding:30px;width:53%}.widget_oscar-vque.light-blue .heading{font-size:24px;line-height:1;margin-bottom:13px}.widget_oscar-vque.light-blue ul{margin:0 0 22px}}<\/style><a href=\"\/survivors-guide\/\" title=\"Get Your Free Survivors Guide\" class=\"cte\" data-ce-category=\"In-Content Ads\" data-ce-label=\"Survivors List Ad\" data-desktop-image=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/mh-survivor-guide-cover.png\"><div><div class=\"image-wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"431\" height=\"402\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/mh-survivor-guide-cover.png\" class=\"attachment-Medium size-Medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"Mesothelioma Survivors Guide\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/mh-survivor-guide-cover.png 431w, https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/mh-survivor-guide-cover-300x280.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 431px) 100vw, 431px\" \/><\/div><div class=\"vque-content\"><strong class=\"heading\">Get Your Free Survivors Guide<\/strong><ul>\n<li>Survivors who beat the odds<\/li>\n<li>Tips for fighting mesothelioma<\/li>\n<li>Navigating life after treatment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong class=\"button arrow\" title=\"Get It Shipped Overnight\">Get It Shipped Overnight<\/strong><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>\n<h2>Tips for Cultivating Hope With a Cancer Diagnosis<\/h2>\n<p>Staying optimistic and holding on to a positive outlook can not only improve your mental and emotional well-being \u2014 it may actually affect your survival.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Here are some actionable ways to stay hopeful after being diagnosed with cancer:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Give life to your hope by sharing it with others.<\/strong> You can tell your caregivers, providers, or loved ones about your optimistic outlook by speaking about it, writing it down, or posting about it on social media. You can also pray or meditate about your hopefulness.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Consider a creative outlet,<\/strong> like different forms of art or music therapies, journaling, or making a scrapbook, to express your hope.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Join cancer <a href=\"\/resources\/support-groups\/\">support groups<\/a>.<\/strong> You may feel alone in your journey, or you may not want to share. But over and again, research shows that forming human connections, especially in times of great distress, provides hope and relief.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Call on your beliefs.<\/strong> If you are religious or spiritual, it may help to embrace your beliefs and find a deeper sense of spiritual connection. Though a cancer diagnosis can often shake a person\u2019s faith, it can also be a time to seek a deeper or renewed sense of spirituality.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Connect with cancer survivors.<\/strong> Talking with someone who has been in your shoes is invaluable when facing a mesothelioma diagnosis. Our Patient Advocates can help you find a peer mentor who\u2019s in a similar situation. Call us right now at <a href=\"tel:+18666088933\" title=\"Click to call (866) 608-8933\" class=\"in-content-tel-link\" data-ce-category=\"Click to Call\" data-ce-label=\"(866) 608-8933\">(866) 608-8933<\/a> to learn more.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Find Help &amp; Hope for a Mesothelioma Cancer Diagnosis<\/h2>\n<p>If you are facing a mesothelioma diagnosis or another terminal cancer, hope is still within reach. And hope, as researchers have found, is a key element of survival.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a reason \u2018hope\u2019 is part of our name. Mesothelioma Hope has helped countless patients find medical care, financial assistance, and emotional support to keep fighting this cancer. Read their stories of hope and survival in our <a href=\"\/survivors-guide\/\">Free Mesothelioma Survivors Guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Recent research on the relationship between hope, health care spending, and survival in 195 advanced cancer patients found that those who had illness-related hope had better health outcomes. Specifically, patients who had hope about their cancer were more likely to seek regular medical care and had a clear survival advantage as a result. The study&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":23000,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[257],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-survivor-stories"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22999","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/35"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22999"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22999\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23000"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}