Could stress really influence the progression of cancer and impact your chances of recovery?
Psychosocial stress, whether from work responsibilities, family or inequalities, activates the “fight or flight” response, releasing hormones such as epinephrine that increase blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
Although this response is useful in the short term, chronic stress can seriously damage health by weakening the immune system and increasing the risk of heart, metabolic and psychiatric diseases.
When it comes to the link between stress and cancer, research is divided.
While some studies suggest a correlation between chronic stress and certain cancers, such as lung cancer, others have found no clear association. Stress could, however, play an indirect role by encouraging risky behaviors such as smoking or alcoholism.
It has also been observed in the laboratory that chronic stress accelerates the progression or metastasis of certain cancers, notably via hormones such as norepinephrine or glucocorticoids, which affect tumour growth and immune response.
In the case of breast cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in women, many patients attribute their illness to psychosocial stress.
Although the evidence remains contradictory, certain biological mechanisms point to an influence of stress on disease progression.
Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system, as well as reduced immune defenses and increased resistance to chemotherapy caused by stress hormones, are avenues being explored to develop therapeutic interventions aimed at reducing stress and improving chances of survival.
Emotional and social support remains essential for people with cancer.
This has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression while improving clinical outcomes.
In addition, approaches such as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, hypnosis, and even innovative psychotherapeutic interventions exploring the use of psychedelic substances, show promise in managing stress and anxiety in cancer patients.
A recent meta-analysis involving almost 438,000 participants and 37,000 cancer diagnoses examined the possible interaction between psychosocial factors (such as stress and anxiety) and risk behaviours (smoking, physical inactivity, alcohol).
The results showed no significant interaction in the development of cancer, but they do confirm that these behaviors remain major health risk factors.
In conclusion, although it appears that psychosocial stress does not directly increase the risk of cancer in relation to risky behaviours, it is essential to consider its role in the management of cancer patients.
Approaches combining psychological and pharmacological interventions offer promising avenues for improving quality of life and clinical outcomes.
Learn more about Lactium for stress management!
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🎥 STRESS AND CANCER
LACTALK - EPISODE 5 SEASON 3
Dr. Damien Tomasso
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Stress and Cancer
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/coping/feelings/stress-fact-sheet