Support Your Immune System

Each month in our Open Voices blog we share insight from leaders in our communities who are advancing what it means to have sacred, open green spaces in our cities. This October we share in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

In 2014, about 295,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in U.S. women1 . Receiving a cancer diagnosis is not a welcome life challenge for anyone. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer. The chance that breast cancer will be responsible for a woman’s death is about 3%.

After receiving a breast cancer diagnosis, a patient coordinates with her doctor and other support systems to choose the right treatment options. Undergoing chemotherapy is part of the treatment for most (but not all) breast cancer patients. In the process of killing cancer, chemotherapy also decimates human immune functioning. Patients are more susceptible to other illnesses and simple colds because their body’s defenses are weak. And for some patients in late stages of cancer, the radiation required to combat cancer cells causes more harm than good.

How can everyday natural landscapes contribute to the health and well-being of breast cancer patients and survivors?

The Homebase Teenage Cancer Trust Garden

Looking back to last week’s Open Voices blog post, we read that walking through a forest has been shown to improve immune function for as much as 30 days after a forest visit and did not increase at all during a carefully matched urban visit 2. Through various methods, scientists have documented our positive responses to the natural environment. Spending time in nature, even a small urban park, can lower blood pressure, direct attention, improve immune system health and contribute to positive emotions and mindsets in cancer patients 3 4.

For researcher Frances Kuo, the ability for nature to boost immune response in chemotherapy patients is an area of research we must further explore.  In her research, Kuo will examine the effect of natural exposure on the immune systems of chemotherapy patients to see if it is possible to boost immune functioning.

In a recent conversation with TKF, Dr. Kuo shared her path of discovery and hopes for future research:

“In the course of looking into the connection between how well cancer patients are doing in different modes of therapy, and what if any contact they are having with nature, I began to read more about stress and immune function. It is extremely well documented how important our mental health is for healing. And knowing what I do about nature benefits, the connection was astoundingly obvious. The hope is that people in later stages of cancer, who need higher doses of radiation but in doing so leads to lowered immune function or even death, can also receive nature therapy and increased immune function accordingly.

The lesson I personally take from my research (besides how important green spaces are) is that my mental state is just as important as my physical health. Psychoneuroimmunology research says overwhelming that if you run yourself ragged you are undermining your physical health. Look for those moments of the day that give you respite or calm and remember it is not self-indulgent. Taking a walk or spending time in a park isn’t pampering yourself. It is not the equivalent of a bubble bath; it is the equivalent of a vitamin.”

In 2009, a working group of nurse research scientists called for nurses to advocate, research and implement strategies to incorporate nature-based interventions in their health care plans 5. Through our NatureSacred initiative, and in collaboration with Dr. Kuo, we support and continue their call.

1 http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/detailedguide/breast-cancer-key-statistics
2 Li, Q., K. Morimoto, M. Kobayashi, H. Inagaki, M. Katsumata, Y. Hirata, K. Hirata, et al. 2008. Visiting a Forest, but Not a City, Increases Human Natural Killer Activity and Expression of Anti-cancer Proteins. International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology 21, 1: 117-127.
3 Bratman, G.N., J.P. Hamilton, and G.C. Daily. 2012. The Impacts of Nature Experience on Human Cognitive Function and Mental Health. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1249: 118-136.
4 English, J., K. Wilson, and S. Keller-Olaman. 2008. Health, Healing and Recovery: Therapeutic Landscapes and the Everyday Lives of Breast Cancer Survivors. Social Science & Medicine 67, 1: 68-78.
5 Hansen-Ketchum, P., P. Marck, and L. Reutter. 2009. Engaging with Nature to Promote Health: New Directions for Nursing Research. Journal of Advanced Nursing 65, 7: 1527-1538.