Pet Therapy Compels Cancer Patients to Stick with Other Therapies
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iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy and radiation to treat their disease are more likely to continue treatments when they’re supplemented with pet therapy.
Stewart B. Fleishman, principal investigator for the study at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York City, says that quality of life improved significantly in a trial of more than 40 patients.
Over the course of several weeks, when patients interacted with therapy dogs following chemo and radiation, there was a noticeable boost in emotional well-being.
What’s more, even when patients who suffered from aggressive cancers in the head and neck experienced physical decline, Fleishman said having the dogs around compelled the patients to continue their treatments.
The researcher added, “There isn’t much joy in these months, and we were able to bring some relief in this terrible time.”
The study lasted six weeks with pets visiting the patients between 15-20 minutes daily.
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