EFFECTS OF ENERGY HEALING ON PROSTATE CANCER

这个子项目是利用由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供的资源的许多研究子项目之一。子项目和调查员(PI)可能从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金，因此可能会出现在其他CRISE条目中。列出的机构是针对中心的，而不一定是针对调查员的机构。我们研究的目标是确定CAM模式是否可以改善疾病进展或生活质量或癌症患者。据报道，在癌症患者或幸存下来的患者中，焦虑比其他任何心理症状都更常见。Cnxity是令人担忧的，因为它与癌症的进展有关。目前减轻焦虑的方法包括药物治疗和心理社会干预，这些方法要求患者积极的心理投入。癌症患者经常使用的一种CAM方式是灵性。一种基于灵性的方式是肠道治疗。虽然客户经常声称能量疗愈后焦虑减轻，但这并没有经过严格的测试。关于能量疗愈对疾病状态的有益影响的研究一直没有定论，主要依赖于非生理学结果衡量标准。我们的目标是设计一项研究，以确定能量康复是否影响癌症人群的疾病进展或焦虑，使用结果的生理标记物。前列腺癌是一种疾病，在这种疾病中，有一种肿瘤进展的血清标记物--前列腺特异性抗原(PSA)。前列腺癌也与高龄焦虑有关。本申请代表了医生、基础科学家、精神病学家、生物统计学家和能量治疗师之间的合作。我们建议进行一项先导性研究，在初次诊断和前列腺癌根治术之间的6-8周期间，新诊断的前列腺癌患者将接受为期4周的能量康复治疗。PSA水平将用于评估疾病进展。焦虑状态将使用唾液皮质醇和脱氢表雄酮分析以及血浆心钠素(ANP)水平以及经过验证的心理测量工具进行监测。具体目标是：1)通过血液中的PSA水平来衡量能量康复对癌症活动的影响，2)使用经过验证的心理测量仪来确定能量康复对焦虑状态的影响，3)通过皮质醇、脱氢表雄酮和心钠素水平来确定能源康复对生理性焦虑的影响。通过合并不治疗、假治疗和灵气治疗组，我们将确定是否任何观察到的效果也可以通过假治疗获得。我们预计，这些研究将为能量治疗是否作为标准的辅助手段提供见解。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The goal of our studies is to determine whether CAM modalities can improve disease progression or the quality of life or for cancer patients. Anxiety is reported more often than any other psychological symptom in patients with or surviving cancer. Cnxiety is of concern as it has been implicated in cancer progression. Current methods of anxiety reduction include medication and psychosocial interventions that requrie active mental engagement by the patient. A CAM modality used frequently by cancer patients is spirituality. One modality based on spirituality is entergy-healing. While clients often claim decreased anxiety following energy-healing, this has not been rigorously tested. Studies of the beneficial effects of energy-healing on disease states have been inconclusive and relied mainly on non-physiological outcome measures. Our aim was to design a study to determine whether energy-healing affects disease progression or anxiety in a cancer population, using physiological markers of outcome. Prostate cancer is a disease in which there is a serum marker for tumor progression, prostate specific antigen (PSA). Prostate cancer is also associated with hihg anxiety. The present application represents collaboration between physicians, basic scientists, psychiatrists, biostaticians, and energy healters. We propose a pilot study in which newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients will be provided with energy-healing treatments for 4-weeks during the 6-8 week period between initial diagnosis and radical prostatectomy. PSA levels will be used to assess disease progression. Anxiety states will be moniotred using salivary cortisol and DHEA assays as well as serum atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) levels in addition to validated psychometric instruments. The Specific Aims are: 1) to detrimine the effects of energy-healing on cancer activity as measured by PSA levels in the blood, 2) to determine the effects of energy-healing on anxiety states using validated psychometric instruments, 3) to determine the effects of energy-healing on physiologic anxiety as measured by cortisol, DHEA and ANP levels. By incorporating no-treatment, sham healing, and Reiki treatment groups, we will determine whether any effects observed could also be obtained by a sham healer. We anticipate that these studies will provide insights into whether energy-healing holds promise as an adjunct to standard