Over Easter weekend, I read an article in Newsweek about the waning of Christianity in the United States. The article talked about a recent poll that showed that increasing number of people indicated that they no longer believed in God. I then had the opportunity to attend Easter Services at a church in Lincoln, Nebraska. The church was full with every seat taken, the balcony full and this seemed to be the case for all three of the services that were going to be held on this special day. I thought to myself what a stark contrast between what I saw and experienced on Easter Sunday morning and what was spelled out in the article in Newsweek. I have increasingly become aware of the idea that faith and belief in a higher being makes such a difference in how people handle the diagnosis of cancer. The patients whom I believe live longer, tolerate therapy better and in general have a better outcome are those with what I would describe as a deep faith. I know that this may not be a purely scientific observation, but it is a belief that has been fostered over the 15 years that I have treated patients with cancer.
There is an old army adage that there are no atheists in foxholes and maybe the diagnosis of cancer brings patients to re-examine their lives and re-examine whether they in fact have faith. I also feel that in today's world, being a Christian or someone who believes in God is maybe not seen as "cool." I think it is en vogue to deny a faith in God. On so many different levels, I feel that this is a mistake and I believe that in many cases it is just an act and that when push comes to shove, it is our human nature to turn to a higher being and seek help in times of stress. I wonder what would happen if Newsweek had polled 1000 cancer patients. I would suspect that the results might have been different.
