Hypnosis in Cancer Care: Imagery to Enhance the Control of the Physiological and Psychological “Side-Effects” of Cancer Therapy

Abstract

The use of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy has resulted in increased control of malignancy and prolonged survival for cancer patients. These modalities also carry significant morbidity. Normal physiological homeostasis is often altered by both the neoplasm and its treatment. The diagnosis, treatment, and social stigma of cancer exact profound psychological impact. Hypnosis effectively can control the range of both physiological and psychological "side-effects" of cancer and its therapy.This paper will delineate those effects of hypnosis of proven value to the cancer patient. Incorporation of images into each phase of a hypnosis session will be demonstrated with an actual case history and annotated transcript. Imagery as a therapeutic modality will be discussed in general, and specific suggestions and images will be given.Modern medical hypnosis traditionally utilizes a pre-hypnotic interview, an induction and so-called trance deepening techniques as a start for "therapeutic intervention." As an almost intrinsic part of this process, we usually see relaxation with concomitant anxiety control, time distortion, dissociation and selective amnesia. All of these hypnotic effects are of direct benefit to the oncology patient, who needs compression of the unpleasant and expansion of comfort.The selection of a variety of imagery I The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not imply approval of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.The author wishes to thank Ms. Linda Lynn for her assistance in the preparation of this paper. t i I For reprints, write the author at 430 East 67

Use of Hypnotic Techniques with Oncology Patients

“…In the oncology field, however, there is a body of publications indicating the value of hypnosis in three main areas: the control of pain (Butler, 1955;Lea, Ware, & Monroe, 1960;Cangello, 1962), the control of concomitant physiological symptoms (Hoffman, 1983;Redd, Rosenberger, & Hendler, 1983;Rosenberg, 1983), and the control of psychological reactions to the disease and its treatment (Goldberg, 1981;Margolis, 1983). This article will review the three areas, even though they are arbitrary classifications because many elements listed under one heading belong in the other areas as well.…”

“…According to Rosenberg (1983), hypnosis has proved to be effective for producing local anesthesia for venipuncture, spinal taps, bone marrow aspirations, biopsies, and injections; for achieving rigidity or flaccidity of the body during thc carc of wounds and during therapeutic or diagnostic radiology; for stimulating or suppressing appetite, the gag reflex, salivation, bowel and bladder functions; for controlling nausea and vomiting; and so forth. Rather than describe each situation in detail, I will present a generalized hypnotic tool-imagery-and focus on the control of nausea and vomiting.…”

The Integration of Hypnosis into a Model of Palliative Care

“…For example, Peter 20 presented several case vignettes to illustrate the efficacy of relaxation and mental imagery techniques for pain management in cancer patients. Weiss, 21 Shum, 22 Rosenberg, 23 Newton, 24 Sacerdote, 25 Milne, 26 Kopel and Quinn, 27 and Noyes, 28 have presented other case studies. Spiegel and Bloom 29 demonstrated a combined treatment of group psychotherapy and hypnosis with women with metastatic breast cancer.…”

Cancer therapy-induced emesis: the nurse's perspective

“…However, hypnosis is generally only successful in patients with a positive attitude to its effectiveness in the prevention of nausea and vomiting. Hypnosis should only be performed under the supervision of a trained therapist (Rosenberg, 1983).…”