In 2012, researchers in Spain reviewed studies of children with cancer and found that hypnosis appeared to help reduce pain and distress from cancer or from medical procedures.
A US study in 2007 gave hypnotherapy to a group of women before they had breast surgery. The researchers found that hypnotherapy lowered the amount of pain, sickness, tiredness and upset that the women had afterwards.
Another US study in 2006 found that hypnotherapy helped to lower anxiety and pain during a biopsy for suspected breast cancer.