Questions of Faith and Spirituality Matter for Patients with Gynecologic Cancers

Addressing spirituality and religion during radiation therapy can potentially serve an important function for patients with gynecologic cancers, researchers have found.

Researchers, who published their findings in the journal Practical Radiation Oncology, identified aspects of spiritual history that patients prioritize and find meaningful.

A collaborative team from Mount Sinai Health System and NYU Langone Health found that most patients (9 of 11, or 82%) rated the importance of faith as 5 out of 5. The two questions most commonly identified to guide conversations about faith and stress were: ‘Do you have spiritual beliefs that help you cope with stress?’ and ‘Have your beliefs influenced how you handle stress?’

“Among gynecological cancer patients who underwent radiation therapy, conversations regarding [religion/spirituality] are highly coveted across a spectrum of demographics and ethnic identities,” researchers wrote. “How [religion/spirituality] helps patients cope with stress was identified as the most meaningful question to open this conversation with providers. Furthermore, engaging patients on their [religion/spirituality] invites further conversation and understanding regarding stress, coping, and anxiety surrounding treatment, findings that should be explored in larger cohorts.”

Researchers, using the FICA Spiritual History Tool, interviewed 11 patients with gynecologic malignancies who received external beam radiation therapy and/or brachytherapy. These patients were of faiths including Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism.

“Our study highlights that patients want these conversations and that spirituality plays a vital role in how they cope with stress during cancer treatment,” said Dr. Lauren Jacobs, first author, a resident physician in Radiation Oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in a news release. “By asking the right questions, clinicians can create meaningful dialogue without adding burden to already time-limited visits.”

Previous research, the news release from Mount Sinai stated, has shown that nearly one-third of patients with cervical cancer develop acute stress symptoms after treatment, with more than 40% reporting post-traumatic stress months later.

“Patients are telling us clearly that their spiritual health matters just as much as their physical health,” said Dr. Karyn Goodman, vice chair for Research and Quality in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Mount Sinai. “By engaging with them on these issues, we can better support emotional well-being, reduce distress, and provide truly whole-patient cancer care.”

Researchers, the news release noted, plan to expand the study to larger cohorts of patients, apply the approach earlier in the cancer journey and broaden it to other cancer types, and also hope to develop protocols and training for clinician and trainees.

Insight from a Cancer Survivor

CURE spoke with longtime Buddhist and endometrial cancer survivor Roberta Codemo about the intersection of cancer and faith in 2024.

Codemo said she did not perceive her diagnosis as good or bad. Instead, she viewed cancer as “burning off” her negative karma.

“My parents had both been diagnosed with cancer and now I had my own battle to fight, but it was also seeing it as a way of burning off karma,” Codemo explained in her interview with CURE. “Getting cancer was the best thing that happened to me.”

Her diagnosis allowed her to open herself up and “understand what suffering really is.”

“My Buddhism has deepened because I’ve gotten to know other women who have been diagnosed with gynecologic cancer,” Codemo says. “No woman should have to go through this, and that is why I advocate and continue to advocate.

“Buddhism sees illness and sickness as a means of eliminating negative karma. It gives you guidance to reach Buddhahood, if you meditate, study and follow the Eightfold Path.”

According to Britannica, the Eightfold Path in Buddhism is described as the path to enlightenment via eight elements that include having “correct” actions and choices in life, including “correct effort,” “correct speech” and “correct mindfulness.”

However, she admits her faith wasn’t always this strong. It wasn’t until she had met fellow patients with gynecologic cancers that shifted her entire view on compassion and companionship.

“Getting cancer made me human,” Codemo says. “It taught me the meaning of the word compassion, which is the touchstone of Buddhism.”

References

1. “Study Explores Use of Religion and Spirituality to Help Patients Cope With Stress of Radiation Therapy for Gynecologic Cancers,” by Mount Sinai Health System. News release; Sept. 30, 2025.
2. “Understanding Patient Priorities for Religious and Spiritual Needs During Radiation Therapy for Gynecological Malignancies,” by Dr. Lauren M. Jacobs, MD, et al. Practical Radiation Oncology.
3. “Matters of Faith After a Cancer Diagnosis," by Ashley Chan. CURE; Sept. 14, 2024. https://www.curetoday.com/view/matters-of-faith-after-a-cancer-diagnosis.

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