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Hypnosis Boosts Immune System
Senior figures within leading UK cancer charities have called on Scotland’s chief scientist to fund trials into the benefits of hypnosis for terminally ill patients.
Marie Curie Cancer Care and Macmillan Cancer Relief, two of the main charities dealing with palliative care, believe the treatment could reduce pain, alleviate stress and, more controversially, boost the immune system of cancer sufferers.
Six hypnotherapists have begun working with patients at Marie Curie’s Hunters Hill hospice in Glasgow and charity leaders claim that without exception the treatment has benefited patients.
They use techniques such as “ego strengthening” and “visualization”, where, in a trance state, the patient may be told to imagine their cancer cells being destroyed by healthy cells.
However, cancer chiefs say that many doctors refuse to sanction the treatment because the area is misunderstood and poorly researched.
Susan Munroe, caring services manager for Scotland at Marie Curie Cancer Care, said: “A lot of people still think that hypnosis is about being made to eat onions or that it’s witchcraft. There are a lot of people who are in a position to refer patients for hypnotherapy but who won’t because there is very little scientific evidence. We really do need to do something to improve that.
“That falls to the health service. The chief scientist’s office funds research, which tends to be random control trials. It would be good to see a national trial that would provide evidence that it works.”
Munroe said that “in 100% of cases” patients reported benefits from hypnosis.
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