PURPOSE: The study was on the impact of laughter therapy on immunological improvement of patients with gastrointestinal cancer undergoing surgery and chemotherapy.
MATERIALS & METHOD: Immunological measurements were performed in 41 cases with patients aged 68.9 years suffering from gastric or colorectal cancer. Intervention using Laughter Therapy was applied to 12 out of the 25 patients subjected to laproscopic surgery and 12 out of 19 patients subjected to chemotherapy.
RESULTS: Immunity of patients within the control group who had surgery decreased. Immunity of patients within the control group who had chemotherapy decreased. With intervention of Laughter Therapy, the immunity of patients with surgery had either decreased or was the same. However, with intervention of Laughter Therapy using the Smile-Sun Method, the immunity of chemotherapy patients increased, notably in patients with colorectal cancer. The improvement of immunity within the control group was 0 out of 7.
CONCLUSION: Patients with advanced cancer have lower immunity which is further decreased with surgery or chemotherapy. Chemotherapy patients who undertook the Laughter Therapy using the Smile-Sun Methodology during treatment in the hospital showed significantly higher immunity levels. The results of this study indicate that patients with gastrointestinal cancer, who undergo laparoscopic surgery or chemotherapy for stomach or colorectal cancer, benefit from a formal program of psychotherapeutic support during the in-patient hospital stay in terms of immunological improvement.
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