Experimental group therapy aims to help cancer patients

Most major cancer centers offer support groups and individual counseling for patients, and the field of "psycho-oncology"—which addresses the psychological, spiritual and emotional aspects of cancer—is booming around the world. New York City-based Memorial Sloan-Kettering's meaning-centered psychotherapy is still in the research phase, but early results are encouraging. In a pilot study of 90 patients presented at the International Psycho-Oncology Society in Vienna, the authors reported that meaning-centered group therapy significantly boosted patients' spiritual well-being and reduced their anxiety compared with traditional support groups.