Cancer Treatment using the Creative Process
Luck may play bigger role than genetics
whether you get cancer or not may be a matter of luck,
according to a
new study published in Science. Random mutations that occur in the body when cells
divide are responsible for two thirds of cancers, researchers said, lifestyle
choices such as diet,
exercise and smoking may not play as large of a role as
previously thought, especially when it comes
to such cancers as pancreatic,
leukemia, bone, testicular, ovarian, and brain cancer.
"When someone gets cancer, immediately people want to know why? They
like to believe there's a
reason. And the real reason in many cases is not
because you didn't behave well or were exposed to
some bad environmental influence,
it's just because that person was unlucky. It's losing the lottery."
(Vogelstein, Bert) That’s not to say you should take your chance and start smoking, but
researchers
say the findings point to a need for improved measures to detect
cancers early, rather than focusing
on preventing them entirely.
The following creative art study was focused on using occupational therapist however the
concept of healing applies to all of us.
A qualitative study invited women
living with cancer who engaged in visual art-making to reflect
on their
experiences of the creative process. The study sought to explore whether the
participants
described experiences of flow during art-making and, if so, how
such experiences helped them to
cope with cancer. Ten women took part in semi-structured
interviews. They described a range of
difficulties associated with their
illness. The interview data were analyzed using a template approach,
based on
the theory of Csikszentmihalyi.
The participants described a number of experiences that have been associated
with flow in
previous work. However, one aspect of flow, namely having clear
goals, was not present clearly in
the participants' accounts. The participants
also described other facets of art-making that seemed part
of the flow
experience, including sensuous vitality, responsiveness to art materials and
evolving
imagery, and creative adventures. The flow experiences during
art-making helped to banish intrusive
thoughts about cancer, provided valued
experiences of mastery and control and encouraged the
participants to engage in
positive journeys into the unknown, thereby alleviating some of the stress
of
cancer. The study offers a detailed analysis of the experience of creative occupation
and has
relevance to occupational therapists working with clients who have
life-threatening illnesses.(Frances
Reynolds and Sarah
Prior)2006
References
Frances Reynolds, & Sarah
Prior. (2006). Adventures and Flow in Art-Making: a qualitative Study
of Women
Living with Cancer. British Journal of Occupational Therapy.
Khan,
Amir. (2015). Health Buzz: Is Cancer Just Bad Luck?, (U.S. News.com).
Vogelstein, Bert M.D., John Hopkins University
Scholl of Medicine , New York Daily News.
