Prayer, God and Cancer
Those who use prayer and have faith in God to heal them have a much higher rate of survival according to many cancer studies undertaken in this area. Here are three of many studies:
STUDY 1: A spiritual approach in the treatment of cancer: relation between faith score and response to chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients. Division of Radiation Oncology, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Milan, Italy.
Background: The recent advances in the psycho-oncological and psycho-neuro-immunological investigations of cancer patients has allowed the rediscovery of the importance of spiritual faith in influencing the clinical course of neoplastic disease, not only in terms of supportive care but also as a potential prognostic variable. Materials and Methods: Clinical criteria were worked out to explore the existence of a real status of faith, in an attempt to correlate the degree of faith with the clinical response to chemotherapy, consisting of cisplatin plus gemcitabine, and the overall survival time in a group of 50 metastatic nonsmall cell lung cancer patients. Results: The tumor response rate achieved in patients with a high degree of faith was significantly higher than in the other group of patients. Moreover, the mean postchemotherapeutic lymphocyte number was significantly higher in the patients with evident spiritual faith than in the other patients. Finally, the percent age of 3-year survival observed in the patients with a high degree of faith was significantly higher than that in the patients with a low faith score. Conclusion: This preliminary study suggests that spiritual faith may positively influence the efficacy of chemotherapy and the clinical course of neoplastic disease, at least in lung cancer, by improving the lymphocyte-mediated anticancer immune response.
STUDY 2: Association between prayer activity, inflammation, and survival in Advanced Cancer Patients (ACPs): A preliminary study. Author(s): Carlos Eduardo Paiva, Bianca Sakamoto Ribeiro Paiva, Camila Souza Crovador, Sriram Yennurajalingam, David Hui; Department of Clinical Oncology, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, Brazil; Post-graduation Program, Barretos Cancer Hospital, and Faculty of Health Sciences, Barretos, Brazil; Department of Palliative Care, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, Brazil; University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Background: Prayers represent an important coping strategy among ACPs. The Religion Practice Questionnaire (RPQ) is a self-reported measure of religiosity validated in the Brazilian population, and includes a question assessing prayer activity. In this cross sectional prospective study, we determined the association among prayer activity, inflammation and survival in ACPs. Methods: Consecutive ACPs presenting for initial consultation at our Palliative Care Outpatient Clinic between March and December 2011 were enrolled. RPQ was administered by a research nurse, and consists of 15 items rated on a 5-point Likertscale (0=none, 5=very much). High prayer score (HPS) was defined as >3/5 for question 11 ("I make personal prayers – spontaneous communications with God"). Inflammatory markers included white blood cell (WBC), albumin and C-reactive protein (CRP). Correlation analysis was performed using Spearman test. Survival was calculated from study enrolment until death, and analyzed with log rank test and Cox regression model including age, sex, KPS, treatment type and HPS. Results: 112 patients were enrolled: average age 59 y (range 21-85), female 53% (N=59), Karnofsky performance status (KPS) ≤70 46% (N=51), most common cancers breast and upper GI (N=41, 37%), no longer on active cancer treatments 48% (N=54). All patients were Christians, and 77 (69%) had HPS (High Prayer Score). RPQ was not associated with WBC, albumin, CRP nor survival. HPS correlated with WBC (r=-0.24, p=0.02), and CRP (r=-0.26, p=0.01) but not albumin (r=0.18, p=0.08). Patients with HPS survived longer (median 198 d vs. 121 d, p=0.040), which remained significant in multivariate analysis (Table). Conclusions: The act of praying was associated with decreased inflammation and improved survival in ACPs. Further studies are necessary to confirm these findings.
STUDY 3: Religious involvement, spirituality, and medicine: implications for clinical practice. Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., 55905, USA.
Study review of existing studies by the Mayo Cancer Clinic: "Surveys suggest that most patients have a spiritual life and regard their spiritual health and physical health as equally important. Furthermore, people may have greater spiritual needs during illness. We reviewed published studies, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and subject reviews that examined the association between religious involvement and spirituality and physical health, mental health, health-related quality of life, and other health outcomes. We also reviewed articles that provided suggestions on how clinicians might assess and support the spiritual needs of patients. Most studies have shown that religious involvement and spirituality are associated with better health outcomes, including greater longevity, coping skills, and health-related quality of life (even during terminal illness) and less anxiety, depression, and suicide. Several studies have shown that addressing the spiritual needs of the patient may enhance recovery from illness. Discerning, acknowledging, and supporting the spiritual needs of patients can be done in a straightforward and non-controversial manner. Furthermore, many sources of spiritual care (e.g., chaplains) are available to clinicians to address the spiritual needs of patients." P.S. Mueller, Mayo Clinic.
Those who use prayer and have faith in God to heal them have a much higher rate of survival according to many cancer studies undertaken in this area. Here are three of many studies:
STUDY 1: A spiritual approach in the treatment of cancer: relation between faith score and response to chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients. Division of Radiation Oncology, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Milan, Italy.
Background: The recent advances in the psycho-oncological and psycho-neuro-immunological investigations of cancer patients has allowed the rediscovery of the importance of spiritual faith in influencing the clinical course of neoplastic disease, not only in terms of supportive care but also as a potential prognostic variable. Materials and Methods: Clinical criteria were worked out to explore the existence of a real status of faith, in an attempt to correlate the degree of faith with the clinical response to chemotherapy, consisting of cisplatin plus gemcitabine, and the overall survival time in a group of 50 metastatic nonsmall cell lung cancer patients. Results: The tumor response rate achieved in patients with a high degree of faith was significantly higher than in the other group of patients. Moreover, the mean postchemotherapeutic lymphocyte number was significantly higher in the patients with evident spiritual faith than in the other patients. Finally, the percent age of 3-year survival observed in the patients with a high degree of faith was significantly higher than that in the patients with a low faith score. Conclusion: This preliminary study suggests that spiritual faith may positively influence the efficacy of chemotherapy and the clinical course of neoplastic disease, at least in lung cancer, by improving the lymphocyte-mediated anticancer immune response.
STUDY 2: Association between prayer activity, inflammation, and survival in Advanced Cancer Patients (ACPs): A preliminary study. Author(s): Carlos Eduardo Paiva, Bianca Sakamoto Ribeiro Paiva, Camila Souza Crovador, Sriram Yennurajalingam, David Hui; Department of Clinical Oncology, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, Brazil; Post-graduation Program, Barretos Cancer Hospital, and Faculty of Health Sciences, Barretos, Brazil; Department of Palliative Care, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, Brazil; University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Background: Prayers represent an important coping strategy among ACPs. The Religion Practice Questionnaire (RPQ) is a self-reported measure of religiosity validated in the Brazilian population, and includes a question assessing prayer activity. In this cross sectional prospective study, we determined the association among prayer activity, inflammation and survival in ACPs. Methods: Consecutive ACPs presenting for initial consultation at our Palliative Care Outpatient Clinic between March and December 2011 were enrolled. RPQ was administered by a research nurse, and consists of 15 items rated on a 5-point Likertscale (0=none, 5=very much). High prayer score (HPS) was defined as >3/5 for question 11 ("I make personal prayers – spontaneous communications with God"). Inflammatory markers included white blood cell (WBC), albumin and C-reactive protein (CRP). Correlation analysis was performed using Spearman test. Survival was calculated from study enrolment until death, and analyzed with log rank test and Cox regression model including age, sex, KPS, treatment type and HPS. Results: 112 patients were enrolled: average age 59 y (range 21-85), female 53% (N=59), Karnofsky performance status (KPS) ≤70 46% (N=51), most common cancers breast and upper GI (N=41, 37%), no longer on active cancer treatments 48% (N=54). All patients were Christians, and 77 (69%) had HPS (High Prayer Score). RPQ was not associated with WBC, albumin, CRP nor survival. HPS correlated with WBC (r=-0.24, p=0.02), and CRP (r=-0.26, p=0.01) but not albumin (r=0.18, p=0.08). Patients with HPS survived longer (median 198 d vs. 121 d, p=0.040), which remained significant in multivariate analysis (Table). Conclusions: The act of praying was associated with decreased inflammation and improved survival in ACPs. Further studies are necessary to confirm these findings.
STUDY 3: Religious involvement, spirituality, and medicine: implications for clinical practice. Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., 55905, USA.
Study review of existing studies by the Mayo Cancer Clinic: "Surveys suggest that most patients have a spiritual life and regard their spiritual health and physical health as equally important. Furthermore, people may have greater spiritual needs during illness. We reviewed published studies, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and subject reviews that examined the association between religious involvement and spirituality and physical health, mental health, health-related quality of life, and other health outcomes. We also reviewed articles that provided suggestions on how clinicians might assess and support the spiritual needs of patients. Most studies have shown that religious involvement and spirituality are associated with better health outcomes, including greater longevity, coping skills, and health-related quality of life (even during terminal illness) and less anxiety, depression, and suicide. Several studies have shown that addressing the spiritual needs of the patient may enhance recovery from illness. Discerning, acknowledging, and supporting the spiritual needs of patients can be done in a straightforward and non-controversial manner. Furthermore, many sources of spiritual care (e.g., chaplains) are available to clinicians to address the spiritual needs of patients." P.S. Mueller, Mayo Clinic.
A Message from God
Prayer is a calling to God that you want to live, and this helps overcome the subconscious death wish that has caused cancer to develop. At Puna Wai Ora Mind-Body Cancer Clinic, we regularly receive messages from God and the Angels to guide us in the work we are doing. When we asked what is the best late stage alternative cancer treatment available, the first reply we received was prayer. The Angels spoke of the Lords prayer said out loud daily - preferably in Latin - was the most effective late stage cancer treatment. They indicated it was important to also: 1. Ask God for forgiveness of any wrongdoings; 2. Ask God to fill them with white light and love, 3. Ask for the pain to be diminished in Jesus’ name; (or another spiritual being you pray to) 4. State “Please bless me with white love and light in Jesus’ name and let the healing begin”, and; 5. Thank God, Jesus and the Angels for their healing and recovery. These are the words of God delivered by the Angels: “God will decide if a miracle happens. They need to connect with themselves more that they are on the right path to awareness of spiritual realms and God. They must believe in God to get through, to have more faith and trust in God. Once they open up, they will be open up in more ways than one."
Prayer is a calling to God that you want to live, and this helps overcome the subconscious death wish that has caused cancer to develop. At Puna Wai Ora Mind-Body Cancer Clinic, we regularly receive messages from God and the Angels to guide us in the work we are doing. When we asked what is the best late stage alternative cancer treatment available, the first reply we received was prayer. The Angels spoke of the Lords prayer said out loud daily - preferably in Latin - was the most effective late stage cancer treatment. They indicated it was important to also: 1. Ask God for forgiveness of any wrongdoings; 2. Ask God to fill them with white light and love, 3. Ask for the pain to be diminished in Jesus’ name; (or another spiritual being you pray to) 4. State “Please bless me with white love and light in Jesus’ name and let the healing begin”, and; 5. Thank God, Jesus and the Angels for their healing and recovery. These are the words of God delivered by the Angels: “God will decide if a miracle happens. They need to connect with themselves more that they are on the right path to awareness of spiritual realms and God. They must believe in God to get through, to have more faith and trust in God. Once they open up, they will be open up in more ways than one."
The Lords Prayer in English
Our father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory. Forever and ever. Amen.
Our father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory. Forever and ever. Amen.
The Lords Prayer in Latin
Pater noster qui es in Caelis;
Father our who is in Heavens
Sanctificetur nomen tuum
Be-hallowed name your
Adveniat regnum tuum
Come kingdom your
Fiat voluntas tua
Be-done will your
Sicut in Caelo, et in Terra.
As in Heaven, And in Earth
Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie
Bread our daily (regular) give us today
Et dimmite nobis debita nostra
And dismiss (forgive) us debts our
Sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.
As and we dismiss (forgive) debtors our
Et ne nos inducas in tentationem,
And not us lead (induce) into temptation
Sed libera nos a malo.
But free (liberate) us from evil
Pater noster qui es in Caelis;
Father our who is in Heavens
Sanctificetur nomen tuum
Be-hallowed name your
Adveniat regnum tuum
Come kingdom your
Fiat voluntas tua
Be-done will your
Sicut in Caelo, et in Terra.
As in Heaven, And in Earth
Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie
Bread our daily (regular) give us today
Et dimmite nobis debita nostra
And dismiss (forgive) us debts our
Sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.
As and we dismiss (forgive) debtors our
Et ne nos inducas in tentationem,
And not us lead (induce) into temptation
Sed libera nos a malo.
But free (liberate) us from evil
