Traumatic stress may affect DNA...

dlb823

I thought this was both interesting and thought-provoking, especially in view of the conversations we've had here questioning the role of stress in developing bc or having a recurrence.       Deanna

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-10-traumatic-st...

leggo

I belive this 100%. Not speaking for anyone on this board, but every single woman I know personally with bc, that did not have a genetic predisposition to the disease, had a traumatic event in their lives and was diagnosed 3 to 7 years after the event, including myself. Psychotherapy, on the other hand, is not something I put much weight into. If that's what it takes to stay healthy, I'm doomed. 

leggo

And perhaps also has something to do with the hormones produced by said trauma. I've often thought that too.

Lily55

applies to me too

dlb823

I've noticed that whenever the question of stress comes up, there seem to be two camps -- those who believe it is a factor (me absolutely included, because I can point to where my health changed and the preceding stress), and those who somehow take offense to the idea that if it's stress, then they should have been able to prevent it, so it's somehow blaming them.  What I find interesting about this research (as limited as it is), is that it gives a real explanation as to why stress can be so damaging -- because it damages our DNA.  It also used PTSD as the stress, which is ironic when you realize how many bc survivors deal with PTSD, and obviously makes me wonder how much of that, in itself, has to do with recurrences and mets.  So interesting!

leggo

I've noticed that too. Blaming oneself or feeling others are blaming is just silly IMO. There's a million+ things that can go wrong within the intricacies of the human body.  I actually feel better knowing that I can pinpoint where it all went wrong, and there's nothing I could have done to prevent it. The trauma was more than my body could handle.  If anyone wants to play the blame game,  that's on them and their personality. I'm sure nobody did anything so wrong that they deserved cancer (though in my mind there are exceptions) so I don't get the "victim" mentality. Nobody's to blame, though I'm sure there are those out there who do so on a regular basis.  Those people bug me. 

cheery

Thanks for posting this research. 

I'm a firm believer of this too. One very experienced onco told me he believes stress is a big cause of cancer but he cannot prove it. Reason being, different people manage stress differently. Some thrive on stress while others don't. He feels diet is actually less of an issue compared to stress.  

I suspect this could possibly explain why some feel and do well with meditation. 

Meow13

I also believe stress caused me to get bc. I suffered on a daily bases of emotional turmoil in my family. Thank God it has gotten better.