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Figure 1. Hypothetical results of a trial of psychotherapy (solid line) versus standard care (dashed line) for anxiety in patients with newly diagnosed colon cancer. In scenario 1 (first panel), treatment is of benefit for acute anxiety, but has no long-term effects, maybe because intervening events such as chemotherapy overwhelm the effects of therapy. In scenario 2 (second panel), treatment is of immediate benefit, and the difference between groups persists. In scenario 3 (third panel), the difference between groups increases over time, perhaps explained by continued adaptive coping learned during therapy.
