“After a cancer diagnosis, you see the world through a different lens. You can’t turn back,” comments Elyse Park, PhD, MPH, a psychologist working with the Mass General Cancer Center’s Cancer Survivorship Program and the creator of the Mind Body Program for Cancer Survivors. “The way you see things is forever changed.” In a recent article published by Mass General Brigham, Dr. Park discusses the many challenges facing cancer survivors.
Dr. Park notes that, although receiving a cancer diagnosis and initiating treatment are life-changing and often extremely challenging, many of the psychological aftereffects of a cancer diagnosis occur long after the diagnosis is made. For patients, cancer survivorship, defined here as the period of care beginning immediately following the completion of initial treatment, presents certain challenges. The transition from the initial intensive phase of cancer diagnosis and treatment to survivorship encompasses many different stressors, including changes to self-identity, shifts in close relationships, worries about recurrence, adjustment to treatment side effects, and new responsibilities and routines for self-care.
In order to better support cancer survivors and to help them negotiate these challenges, Dr. Park and her colleagues at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine and the MGH Cancer Center, created the Mind Body Program for Cancer Survivors. This is an 8-session group-based mind-body intervention based on the principles of the Stress Management and Resiliency Training-Relaxation Response Resiliency Program (SMART-3RP). The program incorporates multiple aspects of CBT, meditation, relaxation practice, and positive psychology strategies. This clinical program is open to all MGH patients who have been diagnosed with cancer and is covered by patients’ health insurance. Giselle Perez, PhD currently directs this program.
In recent research, Dr. Perez has adapted this program to fit the needs of survivors of lymphoma and adolescent and young adult cancer survivors and demonstrated its feasibility, acceptability, and improvements were noted in resiliency, relaxation, positive affect, and general stress reduction (2021, 2022).
In addition, recent research (Finkelstein-Fox et al, 2022) indicates that cancer survivors completing the SMART-3RP experience increased resiliency and that this change stems from improvements in mindfulness, positive affect, and the ability to assertively seek social support. Enhancing mindfulness and positive affect appeared to be the most important “active ingredients” and represent critical components of the SMART-3P intervention for cancer survivors.
Learn more about the Mass General Cancer Center’s Cancer Survivorship Program and the Mind Body Program for Cancer Survivors, as well as clinical research being conducted at the MGH Health Promotion and Resiliency Intervention Research Program (Dr. Park, Director).
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Cancer Survivorship: Life After Cancer (Mass General Brigham)
Finkelstein-Fox L, Rasmussen AW, Hall DL, Perez GK, Comander AH, Peppercorn J, Anctil R, Wang C, Park ER. Testing psychosocial mediators of a mind-body resiliency intervention for cancer survivors. Support Care Cancer. 2022 Jul;30(7):5911-5919.
Perez GK, Walsh EA, Quain K, Abramson JS, Park ER. A virtual resiliency program for lymphoma survivors: helping survivors cope with post-treatment challenges. Psychol Health. 2021 Nov;36(11):1352-1367.
