Hypnosis is recognised in medicine as an effective complementary
therapy. However, few qualitative data are available concerning the benefits it may bring. This qualitative exploratory study aimed to examine the contribution of
hypnosis to the care of advanced
cancer patients. Results demonstrate that
hypnosis is an effective and efficient means of developing the resources of people suffering from serious illness. After an average of four
hypnotherapy sessions, patients said they were able to locate previously unexploited resources within themselves and were able to become autonomous in the use of
self-hypnosis. The major benefit reported concerned a reduction in anxiety. For patients experiencing anxiety about death,
hypnosis allowed them, within a therapeutic environment perceived as safe, to explore different facets of their fears and to develop adaptive strategies. Aside from slight
fatigue experienced during the sessions, no adverse side-effects were reported. In conclusion, this study exploring the effects of
hypnosis allowed us to identify important benefits for patients suffering from advanced
cancer. Consequently, replication on a larger scale is recommended in order to ascertain the extent to which it is possible to generalise from these results and in order better to define the characteristics of patients most likely to benefit from this
therapy.