Stress-Related Cancer

As an individual concerned with the well-being of others, naturally even more to those who are close to me, it was brought to my interest to study the links between stress and threats of cancer; in this case particularly breast cancer. I believe that it helps significantly to recognize all factors which could influence illness, and at most costs, attempt to avoid them. It has been unclear for a period of time now, and unfortunately still is as to whether there are truly links between cancer and stress. In this research, I have attempted to find the slightest bit of proof that cancer development can be attributed to stress.

In a study conducted by a troupe of individuals from different institutes, those which are mentioned in the works cited, a goal was set out to determine whether independent association existed between stressful life events and risk of breast cancer. The study observed factors such as stressful life events, social support, and breast cancer incidence in a group of 84,334 postmenopausal women, which was already netted from the original 93,676 due to exclusion of various factors. Conductors of the study reasoned that low levels of social support associated with high levels of stressful events created a high risk for breast cancer, while high levels of social support associated with low levels of stressful events instilled a lower risk for breast cancer. A plethora of other factors including socio-demographic information (age, education, ethnicity, income, and insurance status), co morbid conditions (lifetime history of other cancers, heart conditions, as well as body mass index), Gail model score, reproductive factors (parity, length breast feeding, oral contraceptive use, and duration of hormone therapy use), and behavioral factors (amount of exercise, alcohol use, smoking status, fat intake, and adherence to mammography) were also accounted for.

Beginning with the analyses of the study, stressful events were declared as time-varying, in which the period of time when the stressful events occurred was undetermined (i.e. current stressful events could accelerate cancerous cell growth already present, or the events could have occurred a years ago, where they have affected growth of cancer in the future). Therefore, to study links over various periods of time, Cox proportional hazards regression models were used, where the stressful life events were used as a time-varying covariate. The most recent life events statuses were used in the model. Secondly, cumulative stressful life events were said to be the highest risk of breast cancer. Lastly the connection between cumulative stressful life events and amount of social support was studied. The study spanned for about seven and one-half years. The results showed that women who possessed higher education, income, and private insurance had a lower level of cumulative stressful life events. Women less apt to physical exercise, more apt to smoking, and the majority of women who were non-white, were at higher levels of cumulative stressful life events. Risk of breast cancer appeared to increase by 14% in women who suffered from one stressful life event, opposed to women who suffered from none, even after adjusting for socioeconomic, co morbid, and ethnic conditions. Observation between social support and stressful life events determined a few effects: Women with higher social support and life events tended to be unaffected by the stressful life events. Women who experienced one stressful life event with low social support compared to women who experienced no stressful life events and low social support, were at a higher risk for breast cancer.

Although association exists between stress and breast cancer, it is quite insignificant, and stressful life events on their own cannot be attributed to breast cancer. The study between social support and stressful life events makes it clear that women who receive social support tend to fare better than women who do not. Altogether according to this study, stress is not a large part of involvement with breast cancer.

“Influence of stressors on breast cancer incidence in the Women’s Health Initiative”.

Michael, Yvonne L.; Carlson, Nichole E.; Chlebowski, Rowan T.; Aickin, Mikel; Weihs, Karen L.; Ockene, Judith K.; Bowen, Deborah J.; Ritenbaugh, Cheryl.

Health Psychology. Vol 28(2), Mar 2009, 137-146.