PasseportSanté – You say that our emotions have an “anticancer” power, whereas the results of several studies affirm the contrary. Can you explain your positioning to us?

Dr Christian Boukaram – Emotions or the mind do not have a direct effect on the tumor. Conventional treatments treat the tumor, while improving the quality of life improves the environment in which the tumor resides – the person. The result in terms of healing, although it is increased, is still imprecise. On the other hand, we can rejoice in contributing to the quality of people’s life, to act like human beings, to have compassion, to care for them and to accompany them during their journey. And them, then have a greater facility to find serenity, inner peace, while being realistic and informed.

Until recently, medicine made the mistake of viewing cancer from a cause and effect perspective. According to the fashion of the time, the cause was attributed only to genes, tobacco, sun, certain foods, etc. By looking for a unique cause for each cancer, we were also looking for a single miraculous cure. Each of these beliefs generated a lot of guilt and fear.

There was a time when it was thought that the psyche was the sole causative factor of illness. This had negative repercussions, as many patients felt guilty about creating cancer and others could neglect their treatments thinking they were cured by positive thinking (and they could also put too much pressure on themselves unnecessarily). We made the same type of mistake later when we looked at cancer as a genetic disease. Many people felt doomed to cancer if a family member had already had the disease, while others felt a great deal of hopelessness in the face of the disease when told that the genes (on their own) would decide the course. and that there was no other way to take charge. While this could bring peace for some, many found this manner fatalistic and wanted to be proactive.

Today, there has been a significant development in knowledge and we understand that the essential problem comes from the way in which we approach cancer. Cancer is not a condition that comes from a single cause. It is a chronic and multifactorial disease. To better treat disease, we must take into account the human being who functions as an interconnected system. We must take into account the human being in his entirety, his habits, the relationship of the cancer cell with its environment.

Does this mean that medicine should be concerned less with survival than with the well-being of patients? No. Both are important. Indeed, lately, there has been a relentless desire to delay death, to increase survival to the detriment of quality of life. I believe that if we helped patients more to savor every moment, while also taking care of their illness, they would have a better quality of life and in the end, they might live longer!

Health Passport – Listening to the body and paying attention to emotions are not part of the Cartesian culture of Western countries. What could be put in place institutionally speaking to allow patients to have access to certain information requiring a broader openness?

Dr Christian Boukaram – It is true that Cartesian cultures tend to underestimate the influence of feelings and experiences in health, while it is a central concept in several cultures, whether of Chinese or Ayurvedic origins. , aborigines, etc. I think it is essential, not only to talk about emotions, but to evaluate all aspects of health related to the human being, including his social environment, to see the being as a whole and to adapt care according to the individual. There is no magic recipe for health and it is imperative to be able to guide patients, while respecting their beliefs. This is the artistic dimension of our profession.

Emotions are normal and essential. When patients are diagnosed, they may experience a storm of emotions, such as guilt, anger, distress, and hopelessness. However, it is imperative to identify these elements of experience from the moment of diagnosis. This is now increasingly practiced in cancer centers which measure patient distress via a scale, much like a vital 6th sense. They can then be referred to a multidisciplinary team that will examine all aspects of their person.

In the West, death is seen as a failure. Few people broach this subject, and patients sometimes face the idea of ​​death, suffering, and an uncertain future in a lonely manner. Most of the patients I meet go through an existential crisis, sometimes without realizing it. We are not sufficiently equipped to support people who are facing mental suffering. However, this distress can be detrimental to adherence to treatment and to the development of the state of health. The distress is so deep that patients sometimes fall into the hands of charlatans. Hence the importance for doctors to support people as a whole and to try to talk about death. We can have different beliefs. But for all, death is a certainty.

Patients increasingly demand to be cared for in an integrated manner. If doctors do not meet this need, patients sometimes turn to people who do not have the competence to support them medically. Statistics show that the majority of patients use unconventional treatments.

PasseportSanté – Can you give some advice to patients who wish to meet professionals offering unconventional methods?

D^r Christian Boukaram —

1) Make sure this method is safe and that research has been done to validate it.

2) Make sure that the therapist has experience in oncology and that it is not a “charlatan” who promises you a cure.

3) Make sure there is no contraindication for your treatment, depending on your condition. Example: acupuncture is contraindicated for those who bleed easily.

Health Passport – Is there a difference between men and women when it comes to awareness of the anticancer power of emotions?

D^r Christian Boukaram – In my experience, women more often tend to talk about their emotions and pay attention to this dimension, but let’s not generalize. Indeed if men do not talk about it, it is perhaps not because they do not feel it, but perhaps because it is not considered to be very “manly” to discuss it. .

PasseportSanté – What advice would you give to the most skeptical?

D^r Christian Boukaram —

To patients:

Do and believe what works best for you as long as you follow conventional medical treatments. If your quality of life is adequate, you don’t have to do anything. If you experience distress or depression, do not hesitate to talk to the healthcare team. If you want to use unconventional treatments, rather than trying anything, try complementary treatments validated by integrative medicine research and avoid people who offer you magic cures. The ultimate goal is to regain its quality of life. The rest, no one knows for sure.

To the nursing staff:

The title of the book is not a call for patients to become “positive”. Nor is it a way of saying that happiness protects against cancer. It is a call to the health care system to broaden its vision. It is a call to improve the administration of care by improving psychosocial support and adapting to the needs of patients.