Immune System and Psychological Changes in Metastatic Cancer Patients Using Relaxation and Guided Imagery: A Pilot Study

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the hypothesis that relaxation and imagery can measurably influence immune responsiveness. The research sample was a group of adult cancer patients with metastatic disease. The subjects systematically engaged in relaxation and guided imagery exercises over one year while monthly samples of blood were drawn for study in a laboratory blind to their identity or specific clinical conditions. Although cortisol and white blood cell counts were not significantly changed, several measures of immune system function were found to be significantly elevated compared to baseline: PHA Mitogen (p<.02); CON-A Mitogen (p<.006); Mixed Lymphocyte Response (p<.03); Interleukin II (p<.03); Natural Killer Cell Activity (p<.01); Erythrocyte-Rosette Assay (p<.001); IgG (p<.01); IgM (p<.001). Several psychological measures also changed over the same period including increased aggression and internal locus of control. All immune and psychological changes paralleled the use of relaxation and imagery. The observed immune system changes were similar to those reported by others using animal models designed to evaluate brain-immune system interrelationships.