In Brief: Hypnosis before breast cancer surgery eases pain, cuts costs

In Brief

The trial, led by researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, also found that compared with usual care, hypnosis resulted in less time in the procedure room and cut per-patient hospital costs by nearly 10%. An editorial accompanying the study suggests that the technique may be especially helpful for people about to undergo diagnostic cancer surgery, who are especially likely to experience anxiety that intensifies their pain.

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