Emotional expression

 One group of researchers (Abse et al., 1974) pointed out

that among the personality characteristics often attributed

to cancer patients are repression and denial, poor outlet for

emotional discharge, inability to express hostile feelings,

rigidity, impairment of self-awareness and introspection, a

tendency to self-sacrifice and self-blame, a "reality

orientation," and a predisposition for experiencing

hopelessness and despair.

 Among the researchers to first focus on the relation-

ships between the development of cancer and characteristic

patterns of emotional expression were LeShan and Worthington

(1956). They contended that cancer patients characteristi-

cally have an inability to express hostile feelings. Reduced

aggressive expression was identified as a factor by both

Bacon et al. (1952) and Stavraky et al. (1968).

 In the 1960s, the work of David Kissen was well-

respected for its attempts to study this issue in a

systematic manner and with controls. In his study of male

lung cancer patients, Kissen (1963) found that men with lung

cancer differed significantly ( p <.05) from controls with

other pulmonary disease in having restricted outlets for

emotional discharge. He and his associates (Kissen, Brown, &

Kissen, 1969) claimed to confirm this in 1969.