SAN FRANCISCO - Cancer patients who get support through group therapy may survive up to twice as long as patients on medical treatment alone, according to a study that adds fuel to the debate over the role of psychological factors in disease.

The 10-year study of 86 women with metastatic breast cancer, reported Wednesday by researchers from Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, is believed to be the first to examine the effect of psychological and social supports on cancer patients' survival.