Practice Parameters for the Management of Rectal Cancer (Revised)

Repression/Denial. In a meta-analytic review of the literature of psychosocial fac- tors and the development of breast cancer, McKenna and colleagues (1999) found sig- nificant effect sizes for an association between breast cancer and the use of a coping strategy based on denial/repression. Astudy by Jensen (1983) provides important evidence supporting the idea that repres- sion involves disregulation of the immune system that, in turn, influences cancer. In a prospective study of women with breast cancer, Jensen found that at follow-up subjects with a repressive coping style and reduced levels of self-reported negative emotions had poorer outcomes (including death) than those who did not meet this profile. Specifically, Jensen...