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Participants receiving either of the interventions will have
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higher psychosocial functioning as evidenced by
lower perceived stress levels,
more effective coping strategies,
higher spirituality,
greater social support,
greater inner strength,
less depressive symptomatology, and
greater sense of benefit through the cancer experience;
higher quality of life; and
attenuated stress-related neuroendocrine mediation.
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Given that psychoneuroimmunological relationships in the context of cancer will be confounded by the immunosuppressive effects of chemotherapy, and controlling for chemotherapy regimens, participants receiving either intervention will have attenuated immunological dysfunction and better physical health status, as evidenced by
higher natural killer cell and lymphokine activated killer cell cytotoxic activity;
cellular production of type 1 and type 2 cytokines more closely approximating normal patterns;
higher lymphocyte proliferative function; and
higher cancer-related health status.
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