ABSTRACT
Psychosomatic research in the study of cancer has existed for a long time. Many authors have tried to establish links between psychological problems and the onset of cancer. They have primarily engaged in retrospective studies, starting with isolated cases where there was a striking correlation between emotional traumas and the appearance of tumours after a certain delay (Abse 1964; Abse et al. 1973; Bahnson and Bahnson 1964; Bahnson 1969, 1975; Baltrusch 1956, 1975; Booth 1969). Longitudinal prospective studies, with more elaborate methodology, are rare; in broad outline, they share the conclusions of the former studies (Thomas and Greenstreet 1973; Thomas and Duszynski 1974; Greer and Morris 1975; Fox 1978; Greer et al. 1979). In his work of synthesis, Bammer (1981) has reviewed about two hundred works.
