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02 August 2012

Care after Cancer

Cancer affects us all. At some point in our lives we, or a loved one will get cancer. The diagnosis creates a wide range of emotional problems, not only for patients, but also their friends and family. In an effort to create a community for cancer survivors and their carers, Welsh cancer charity Tenovus established a choir (Sing for Life). Local scientists conducted a pilot study to look at the effects of singing and being part of a choir on mental and physical health. Researchers surveyed quality of life, anxiety, depression, fatigue and lung capacity in a group of choir-goers before and after three months of singing in the choir. While fatigue and lung capacity remained unchanged, they found an improvement in factors ranging from vitality to mental health. Anxiety and depression were both reduced following the experience.

Written by Brona McVittie

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What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.