Week 6 Health Issue Cancer

                                           


 


            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.