The most striking features of these reports are the

serious methodological problems, the reliance on retrospec-

tive analysis and an absence of carefully designed longitu-

dinal studies. In addition, the majority of studies

consisted of clinical observations of a small number of

patients. Most either lacked a control group altogether or

used poorly matched controls. As a result of this very broad

and general approach, there was a characteristic failure to

control for important epidemiologic factors and a failure to

distinguish between patients with various types of cancer and

various stages of disease. As regards the information

collected on the personality of the patients under study, the

ability of the interviewer or the psychological tests to

distinguish between trait and state features of the

personality was questionable.

 At best, the findings of these reports can be said to

be associative. There is clearly no direct evidence for a

causal relationship between psychological variables and the

development of cancer. Among the variables frequently noted

by those reporting findings on the characteristics of persons

that develop cancer were a loss of a significant relationship

or major life change, depression and hopelessness, and re-

stricted hostile or aggressive expression.

 The relationship between psychological variables and

the progression of cancer has also been explored by a number