Lily Mak

      I found my women scientist in a book called        " The New York Times" with fifty other scientists. The women scientist that I chose is Jimmie Holland. Dr Jimmie Holland is originally from Texas. Her husband, Dr. Billie Holland, is a cancer specialist. Jimmie Holland always asks the questions how do battles of cancer affect the minds of cancer patients? Does removal of certain body parts affect one’s image? What is the best way to treat cancer patients?

      Some feelings of cancer patients are depression and lost of ability to have sex. Many doctors believe that cancer survivors are perfectly fine, but what they do not know is how they feel emotionally.

     After graduating from Baylor University, Jimmie wanted to take care of patients with physical problems. When she started to work with patients suffering from diverse diseases, she became interested in the psychology of cancer. Dr. Holland became more interested when her husband began to talk to her about the emotional problems of cancer patients. By 1977, she began her work. First, to prove to the oncologists that she can really help the cancer patients.  Dr. Holland began to measure the affects of various treatments. She then determined about a quarter of the patients with cancer have significant psychiatric problems, and many of them do not get the help they need.

     Studies have shown the most common problems during cancer treatments are anxiety, fear, and depression. Some people after having long hours of cancer treatments cannot  take forty-five minutes of therapy. After much research done by Dr. Holland, there is evidence that cancer patients who seek help live longer than those who do not. Without the research done by Jimmie Holland, doctors would not focus on the emotional needs of the cancer patients.  Now a days doctors are focusing more on the cancer patients emotional needs than before. Thanks to the help of Dr. Jimmie Holland.