As we understand more fully, the way that stress impacts our lives and our health, we realize the importance of managing stress and keeping it at bay.
It was recently seen in a study that a relaxation program helped breast cancer cut their risk of death in half. This also underlines the fact that cancer can by itself have a very stressful impact on sufferers and that there is therefore a very particular need to manage stress for cancer patients. 
This is why, according to Prof William Carson, from Ohio State University researcher; reducing stress may actually be a powerful therapy to fight the disease itself.
In the program, women were equipped to combat stress with simple relaxation and problem solving techniques. They were also offered advice about getting the right kind of support from near and dear ones.
They were also offered guidance about diet and exercise, and about coping with the inevitable side effects of cancer and its treatments.
Taken together, the positive impacts of such intervention were seen to double the life expectance of the patients. Such interventions can also effectively help women whose cancers have returned.
