Effects of energy healing on prostate cancer

描述(由申请人提供)：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。焦虑是令人担忧的，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，这需要患者积极的心理参与。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能量疗愈。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)。前列腺癌也与高度焦虑有关。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。除了经过验证的心理测量仪器外，还将使用唾液皮质醇和血浆DHEA分析来监测焦虑状态。具体目的是：1)通过血液中的PSA水平来确定能量愈合对癌症活动的影响，2)使用经过验证的心理测量仪来确定能量愈合对焦虑状态的影响，3)通过皮质醇和DHEA水平来确定能量愈合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，这些研究将提供关于能量治疗是否有希望作为前列腺癌患者标准治疗的辅助手段的见解。他们还将为能量疗法是否有助于减少癌症患者的焦虑提供见解。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): 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. Anxiety is of concern as it has been implicated in cancer progression. Current methods of anxiety reduction include medication and psychosocial interventions that require active mental engagement by the patient. A CAM modality used frequently by cancer patients is spirituality. One modality based on spirituality is energy-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 high anxiety. The present application represents collaboration between physicians, basic scientists, psychiatrists, biostatisticians, and energy healers. 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 monitored using and salivary cortisol and plasma DHEA assays in addition to validated psychometric instruments. The Specific Aims are: 1) to determine 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 and DHEA 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 management of patients with prostate cancer. They would also provide insights into whether energy healing might be beneficial in decreasing anxiety in cancer patients.