Breast cancer patients have improved immune and neuroendocrine functions following massage therapy.

Objectives: Women with breast cancer are at risk for elevated depression, anxiety, and decreased natural killer (NK) cell number. Stress has been linked to increased tumor development by decreasing NK cell activity. The objectives of this study included examining massage therapy for women with breast cancer for (1) improving mood and biological measures associated with mood enhancement (serotonin, dopamine), (2) reducing stress and stress hormone levels, and (3) boosting immune measures.

The emerging self in conceptualizing and treating mental illness.

1. The course of severe mental illnesses is more heterogeneous than previously thought and is influenced by many complex, interacting factors. 2.