Do Optimism Improves Cancer Survival A Meta - Analysis.

DO OPTIMISM IMPROVES CANCER SURVIVAL A META - ANALYSIS Abstract Objective: To provide a quantitative summary of role of optimism on cancer survival, and to present the year wise reporting aspects of the previous studies. Method: Electronic searches and manual searches of reference lists were done from review articles and retrieved papers. A coding manual was prepared which include the following variables: publication year, authors name, title of the studies, statistical analysis used, result and whether the study accepted/ rejected the role of optimism in cancer survival. Results: twenty five articles from published journal between 1966 and 2016 (20 years) were included in the present meta-analysis. Of these, only 11 studies are aimed to find out the direct relation between optimism and cancer survival and 6 of them proved significant relation except five that oppose the direct relation between optimism and cancer survival. 14 studies are aimed to find out the relation between cancer survival and the related concepts of optimism like pessimism, minimization/ denial, physical as well as mental health, emotional wellbeing coping style and benefit finding and found positive relation between the variable that may indirectly influence the survival. Three studies identified the psychosocial factors that influence cancer survival and didn't point out optimism as a psycho-social factors. Very few studies were found (only 10 in number) before 2006 and 5 of them didn't prove optimism as a factor in cancer survival. The recent findings from the remaining 15 studies proved significant relation between optimism and cancer survival. Conclusion: 20 out of 25 studies revealed a significant relation between optimism and cancer survival. But a definite conclusion about whether optimism predicts cancer survival seems premature, because of the lack of articles related to the topic. Future studies within the psycho-oncology should address the role of psycho-social factors in cancer survival and if it is proved should develop a psycho-social intervention module which can reach the needed people for betterment of the life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]