Stress and cancer

Stress
Tina:
From the National Cancer Institute:

Can stress increase a person’s risk of developing cancer?
Studies done over the past 30 years that examined the relationship between psychological factors, including stress, and cancer risk have produced conflicting results. Although the results of some studies have indicated a link between various psychological factors and an increased risk of developing cancer, a direct cause-and-effect relationship has not been proven (3, 4).

Some studies have indicated an indirect relationship between stress and certain types of virus-related tumors. Evidence from both animal and human studies suggests that chronic stress weakens a person’s immune system, which in turn may affect the incidence of virus-associated cancers, such as Kaposi sarcoma and some lymphomas (5).

More recent research with animal models (animals with a disease that is similar to or the same as a disease in humans) suggests that the body’s neuroendocrine response (release of hormones into the blood in response to stimulation of the nervous system) can directly alter important processes in cells that help protect against the formation of cancer, such as DNA repair and the regulation of cell growth (6).

Hmm. I say thats a big YES.
Penny

Pennymac02 said:

Stress
Tina:
From the National Cancer Institute:

Can stress increase a person’s risk of developing cancer?
Studies done over the past 30 years that examined the relationship between psychological factors, including stress, and cancer risk have produced conflicting results. Although the results of some studies have indicated a link between various psychological factors and an increased risk of developing cancer, a direct cause-and-effect relationship has not been proven (3, 4).

Some studies have indicated an indirect relationship between stress and certain types of virus-related tumors. Evidence from both animal and human studies suggests that chronic stress weakens a person’s immune system, which in turn may affect the incidence of virus-associated cancers, such as Kaposi sarcoma and some lymphomas (5).

More recent research with animal models (animals with a disease that is similar to or the same as a disease in humans) suggests that the body’s neuroendocrine response (release of hormones into the blood in response to stimulation of the nervous system) can directly alter important processes in cells that help protect against the formation of cancer, such as DNA repair and the regulation of cell growth (6).

Hmm. I say thats a big YES.
Penny

Not in my case!
Since I was diagnosed in 1980, I endured long-term job loss, divorce, the serious illnesses and eventual deaths of both my parents, and the suicide of my only sibling by hanging, which I discovered. I was 28 at the time of diagnosis, just turned 59, and am still cancer-free! If stress inevitably resulted in cancer, I would have probably suffered recurrence by now!

Love, Courage, and Peace of Mind!

Rick

Tina Brown said:

Hi Rick
Thank-you for your reply. I am so sorry you have had such sadness in your life. If my maths are right you have been in remission for 30 years? That is amazing.

Tina

Don't believe it
If stress causes cancer then most Americans would have cancer. We all are under a certain degree of stress. Some more than others. I have never been a person who stresses, but I was dx with cancer last October. On the other hand my sister is obsessed she is a constant worrier, but is cancer free.

terato said:

Thank you!
You are darn right! Who in America is not undergoing stress these days? What about those who have been unemployed for two years or more and have lost their homes? Or, those who have sons, daughters, or spouses in Iraq of Afghanistan on their third or fourth tour of duty? Or, people along the Gulf who have been battered by hurricanes and oil rig spills? We should be having a cancer epidemic with all the stresses endured by average Americans, but we aren't! It is not the stress that results in illness, it is how we cope with it, along with a myriad of other factors.

"If it's in your genes, switch to wearing Dockers!"

Love, Courage, and Peace of Mind!

Rick

Stress Can Effect
I have to say, for me, stress does have an effect, maybe not on the cancer, but on the symptoms. Recently, I had a couple of very stressful days, worrying and panicking, and my pain skyrocketed, symptoms increased. Stress puts a lot of pressure on the body and symptoms, and there are those that can process the stress better than others. That plays an important role, I believe, in how stress will effect the cancer.

Pennymac02 said:

Stress
Actually, the article doen't say stress causes cancer, it says it weakens the immune system. As someone who just went through a battle with shingles and got diagnosed with high blood pressure I recognized that stress didn't cause that, but my weakened immune system made me more vunerable to it. Its not a cause, but is is one of the factors. Not everyone who smokes gets lung cancer, and not everyone with lung cancer has smoked. Does any one have a doubt though that cigarettes contribute to the cancer? I'm just saying...

Yes Pennymac
I am just saying...I agree with you 100%. Stress does weaken our immune systems which makes our bodies more immune to disease. Cancer thrives on stress. Thank you for posting and best of luck with dealing with the shingles and high blood pressure. I am sure the new meds will be helpful.
Tina

madiarsg said:

Stress Can Effect
I have to say, for me, stress does have an effect, maybe not on the cancer, but on the symptoms. Recently, I had a couple of very stressful days, worrying and panicking, and my pain skyrocketed, symptoms increased. Stress puts a lot of pressure on the body and symptoms, and there are those that can process the stress better than others. That plays an important role, I believe, in how stress will effect the cancer.

"Stress" does bring on my headaches,
and, causes my stomach to tighten up. It takes the mind away from things that would, otherwise, be enjoyable. I just don't believe that "stress", by itself, can precipitate cancer, or I would have relapsed years ago.

But what do I know, I'm only a 30-year survivor!

Love, Courage, and Peace of Mind!

Rick

STRESS
Hi Tina,
I would have to say that I think stress does play a big role with cancer. Right now I have a recurrance of thyroid ca, dealing with lymphoma and also dealing with ovarian mass/cyst. The past couple of years have been the hardest ever...

Being a caregiver to my elderly mom.
Having my brother die very suddenly.
Dealing with his estate across the country.
Flying across the country 5 times in a year.
Dealing with attorneys to help fight people trying to steal my brothers estate.
Having an auto accident and needing shoulder surgery and P.T. for a year.
Hearing that my mom in law has stage 4 melanoma.I could go on and on, but you get my point..
Stress is related to cancer..

I think it can.
I have always felt that my cancer was triggered by extreme stress after a particularly tumultuous time for me way back in the early 90ties (stop doing the math you guys, lol). Of course it takes the medical community forever to come up with validating these things but just last night there was a whole Larry King show done on the Human Brain and guess what came up? Stress and disease. Even the treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder came up on that show with the idea of EMDR treatment for it and for a long while EMDR was like voodoo to many in the medical community. I had the treatment and it rid me of a couple of traumatic memories. Try to watch that Larry King show on the Human Brain online at the tv networks site if you can, it aired last night Friday Sept. 17,2010. It had a bit on stress and disease. I don't think the jury is in though, at this point on being conclusive about it but I have my suspicions stress is at the bottom of many of our human woes. More than we know.

I have found things like proper deep breathing techniques (breathing from the diaphram) help as well as meditation twice a day. I took Transcendental Meditation years ago and that works for me but many use prayer or nature sounds to meditate too - whatever works. Yoga is great for stress too as is any excercise but some of us are limited in being able to do too much exercise but any little bit can help I am sure. Doing things for yourself is another stress reliever - even a hot bath alone with a candle and a glass of wine at the end of the day is something else you can do to just relax, anything that you like to help you reduce the stress levels. If all of that fails don't leave it and let it get worse. Look for a good anxiety specialist, I have found for me that psycologists are far more hands on with current issues and can help quite quickly with many anxiety issues - at least get you started on some form of relief quickly that doesn't involve medications.

The medical community could come along so much faster on cancer issues if they simply ASKED A SURVIVOR. lol. Listen to us doctors, we know our bodies. They are slowly listening more and more to us, I have seen a huge leap in meeting survivor's needs through the 23 year span of time I have been dealing with the big 'c'. When I complained of pains or issues I was told, in those first few years, that maybe I should see a shrink and today many of those issues are notably present on symptom lists of late effects after some treatments. Slowly turns the wheel of change. But it's coming. Take heart.

Blessings, Bluerose

DCD1028 said:

Stress and cancer
Dear Tina,

Cancer has been a part of my life for over 25 years. My mother and daughter were diagnosed with it and sadly i lost both of them. However, i am currently working on a presentation on how stress and anxiety can cause cancer and other diseases that can lead to cancer. I truly believe that it can affect the immune system by lowering it and that is our bodies only defense system against disease.

not just my opinion...
the only completely stress free organism is a dead one -
stress does not cause cancer but stress will makes any illness, including cancer, worse -
remember though that most stress scales include weddings and Christmas as stressors -
thank goodness for feeling stress, it means you are alive and that has to be good eh?

congoody said:

not just my opinion...
the only completely stress free organism is a dead one -
stress does not cause cancer but stress will makes any illness, including cancer, worse -
remember though that most stress scales include weddings and Christmas as stressors -
thank goodness for feeling stress, it means you are alive and that has to be good eh?

Thank you!
The most stressful event in my life was not my cancer diagnosis and treatment, it was finding my brother at the end of an electric cord, and knowing that after dealing with the police, I would have to tell our parents that their youngest son had committed suicide. Yet, I did not relapse, despite the fact that I had started a new job just weeks before and had the sole responsibility of clearing out my brother's apartment and handling all the legal matters regarding his estate.

I adopted two methods of dealing with stress at the time, one healthy, the other not-so-much. I used the step machine at the health club to exercise until my knees hurt, sometimes forgetting how much time had elapsed. Unfortunately, I also used vodka to get to sleep at night, a habit I eventually gave up when I entered grief counseling.

Stress, like grief, are not positive feelings, but the cancer itself produces these feelings and focusing on stress, mental attitude, or any factor other than congenital or biochemical ones, in my very humble opinion, is counter productive and may even produce unrealistic guilt in the patient.

Deal with stress, depression, and anxiety with the help of counselors, therapists, and support groups. Deal with the cancer through your oncologist or hematologist. The latter may cause reason for the former, but I don't believe it works the other way around.

Love, Courage, and Peace of Mind!

Rick