Positive social interaction could increase cancer survival rates: Study

New research from the National Institutes of Health examines the link between positive social interactions and the effect on the body, as scientists seek to understand if outside influences can help a cancer patient’s chance of survival.

The study found that cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy had a slightly better chance of surviving for more than five years if they interacted with other patients during treatment who also survived after five years.

Conversely, patients who interacted with other cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy that died in less than five years had a slightly increased chance of also dying before five years.

Their findings were published in the journal Network Science in July and was conducted by researchers from the NIH’s National Genome Research Institute and the University of Oxford.

“People model behavior based on what’s around them,” Jeff Lienert, the lead author of the study, said in a press statement. “For example, you will often eat more when you’re dining with friends, even if you can’t see what they’re eating. When you’re bicycling, you will often perform better when you’re cycling with others, regardless of their performance.”

The researchers examined electronic medical records of two major U.K. hospitals between 2000 and 2009. They looked at chemotherapy appointments for patients and for others who would likely be in the same room at the same time and followed their survival rates. Five years is seen as a benchmark for success in surviving cancer.

Chemotherapy rooms tend to be an open floor plan — although it is specific to the hospital — with multiple chairs and curtain partitions to provide privacy for patients.

Among the data, researchers found that there was a 72 percent chance of dying from cancer before five years for patients who were around other patients who had died in less than five years.

When patients interacted with other patients who then survived cancer for more than five years, those patients showed a 68% chance of living longer.

“A two percent difference in survival — between being isolated during treatment and being with other patients — might not sound like a lot, but it’s pretty substantial,” Mr. Lienert said. “If you saw 5,000 patients in nine years, that 2 percent improvement would affect 100 people.”

The researchers can’t determine a direct cause and effect, only an association, although Mr. Lienert said stress may be a factor.

“Positive social support during the exact moments of greatest stress is crucial,” Mr Lienert continued in the statement. “If you have a friend with cancer, keeping him or her company during chemotherapy probably will help reduce their stress. The impact is likely to be as effective, and possibly more effective, than cancer patients interacting with other cancer patients.”