Friendship doesn't just improve survival for breast cancer patients -- it could also help ease their pain and symptoms, according to a new study from Kaiser Permanente researchers.


The study, published in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, shows that having strong social ties and interactions is linked with greater quality of life -- both emotional and physical -- for breast cancer patients.


"This study provides research-based evidence that social support helps with physical symptoms," study researcher Candyce H. Kroenke, ScD, MPH, a staff scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, said in a statement. "Social support mechanisms matter in terms of physical outcomes."


The study is based on data from 3,139 women who are members of Kaiser Permanente in California who were diagnosed with breast cancer sometime between 2006 and 2011. The study participants all took questionnaires within two months of being diagnosed that asked them about their friendships, relationships and other social ties, their level of social support, their quality of life and their breast cancer symptoms.


Researchers found correlations between having strong support systems and friendships/relationships with all quality of life measures, while those with little social support actually reported more breast cancer symptoms. Support was especially linked with improved quality of life for late-stage breast cancer patients.


The same researchers found last year that social ties are also linked with a lower risk of dying for breast cancer patients. HuffPost Women previously reported:


The researchers determined that while the quantity of social ties a woman has impacts mortality more, the importance of quality shouldn't be discounted. Indeed, women with small networks and low levels of support were 61 percent more likely to die from breast cancer and other causes than those with small networks and high levels of support.

For more health benefits of friendship, click through the slideshow:






  • Friends Get You Moving


    Research presented in 2012 found that something you might expect more from your mother -- nagging -- can actually work when it's coming from a pal who's pushing you to move more.

    In fact, the least active interviewees in this particular survey said they <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120418134852.htm" target="_hplink">needed and even <em>appreciated</em> a nudge</a> now and then from friends.

    And working out with a friend has the added benefit of keeping you committed to your workout plan. There's no rolling over to hit the snooze button on that a.m. run if someone is waiting for you to show up!

    <em>Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/geishaboy500/272639168/" target="_hplink">geishaboy500</a></em>




  • Friends Keep You Relaxed


    There's some truth behind friendship clichés like "a shoulder to cry on." In the face of great stress, talking with and leaning on friends really can help you get through troublesome times.

    A 2011 study found that among students, <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111026091229.htm" target="_hplink">friendships helped reduce some of the stress of being bullied</a> or excluded at school.

    Women in particular may be predisposed to the calming benefits of friendship. Researchers found that <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/article/Fight-stress-with-friends-2858415.php" target="_hplink">females release the hormone oxytocin when stressed</a>, which encourages "tend and befriend" behavior, rather than the "fight or flight" reaction often observed in men, the <em>San Francisco Chronicle</em> reported. This encourages women to chat with their friends when stressed, and the chatting itself spurs the release of <em>more</em> oxytocin, which can have a calming effect.

    <em>Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/epsos/4933098878/" target="_hplink">epSos.de</a></em>




  • Friends Help You Live Longer


    It's not quite as simple as connecting with friends and, poof, you're guaranteed to live to 100. But there <em>is</em> a significant body of research linking strong social ties to a longer lifespan.

    Australian research found that <a href="http://jech.bmj.com/content/59/7/574.abstract?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=friends&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=date&resourcetype=HWCIT" target="_hplink">older adults with more friends were 22 percent less likely to die</a> during a 10-year study than their peers with fewer friends.

    And in a recent analysis of 148 studies, researchers found that people with stronger relationships had a <a href="http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316" target="_hplink">50 percent greater chance of survival</a>.

    <em>Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gribanov/" target="_hplink">egor.gribanov</a></em>




  • Friends Boost Cancer Survival Rates


    While friendships may help you live longer in any situation, social ties have also been linked specifically to overcoming cancer.

    A small 2005 study observed 61 women with advanced ovarian cancer. <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.21147/abstract" target="_hplink">Higher levels of interleukin 6</a>, a protein marker for a more aggressive form of the disease, were found in the women with the weakest social bonds.

    An older study followed 86 women with metastatic breast cancer for a year and found that the women who participated in a weekly support group <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2571815" target="_hplink">lived twice as long</a>.




  • Friends Lower Heart Disease Risk


    Perhaps because of their relaxation powers, friends are also good for the heart. A 2005 analysis of social support theories found that weak social ties could <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16314591" target="_hplink"><em>double</em> heart disease risk</a>.

    The link between social support and a healthy heart is even stronger for men who make one very special social tie official. <a href="http://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20041108/social-ties-guard-against-heart-disease" target="_hplink">Married men</a> seem to experience a particular boost in heart health, WebMD reported.

    Stronger social ties in general seem to lower blood pressure, which helps the heart.

    <em>Flickr photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brentgambrell/4415887276/" target="_hplink">Brent Gambrell</a></em>