Stress could put you at risk for cancer???

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Hindsfeet
Hindsfeet Member Posts: 2,456
edited June 2014 in High Risk for Breast Cancer
Stress could put you at risk for cancer???
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  • Hindsfeet
    Hindsfeet Member Posts: 2,456
    edited December 2009

     I was talking with a friend this afternoon about stress, and how it affects our body. It occurred to me that the few years before my 2007 and 2008 bc dx I was under a lot of stress...self employed. My second dx was a wakeup call. Besides adding vitamins, thyroid meds, and iodine, I am doing trying not to let things get to me, or stress me out. And when you are dx with cancer, you not only battle with the disease, but with financial stress in paying medical bills. It can be a catch 22 situation. This last year has been busy, and demanding, but I'm not letting responsibility or the demands of everyday life get to me.

    I am convinced that stress is huge in destroying our bodies, and puts us at risk for b c and other diseases. I came across information that support these thoughts...thinking it might help others, I'm putting this information out there in hopes it helps others to find rest in the middle of the storm.

    •                                                                 ...........
    Sept. 24, 2003 (Copenhagen, Denmark) -- As if life isn't stressful enough, Swedish researchers say that being under stress maydouble a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. They based their findings on surveys of more than 1,400 Swedish women in the late 1960s who were part of a long-term health-care study. They found that women who reported being under stress had twice the risk of developing breast cancer as women who managed to stay cool, calm, and collected.

    Another report...

    Hundreds of studies have measured how stress impacts our immune systems and fights disease. At Ohio State University, researcher Dr. Ron Glaser, Ph.D., found that students under pressure had slower-healing wounds and took longer to produce immune system cells that kill invading organisms. Renowned researcher Dr. Dean Ornish, M.D., who has spent 20 years examining the effects of stress on the body, found that stress-reduction techniques could actually help reverse heart disease. And Dr. Barry Spiegel, M.D., a leader in the field of psychosomatic medicine, found that metastatic breast cancer patients lived longer when they participated in support groups.

    Other studies have gone as far as to show those women who experienced traumatic life events or losses in previous years had significantly higher rates of breast cancer.

    Still, the National Cancer Institute reports, "Although studies have shown that stress factors, such as death of a spouse, social isolation, and medical school examinations, alter the way the immune system functions, they have not provided scientific evidence of a direct cause-and-effect relationship between these immune system changes and the development of cancer."

    Nonetheless, some medical experts say therein lies the link between cancer and stress - if stress decreases the body's ability to fight disease, it loses the ability to kill cancer cells.

    Every day, our bodies are exposed to cancer-causing agents in the air, food and water we're exposed to. Typically, our immune system recognizes those abnormal cells and kills them before they produce a tumor. There are three important things that can happen to prevent cancer from developing - the immune system can prevent the agents from invading in the first place, DNA can repair the abnormal cells or killer T-cells can kill off cancer cells.

    Research has shown that stress can lower the body's ability to do each of those things, according to Dr. Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., assistant professor of behavioral sciences at the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Does that mean there's a direct link between stress and the risk of developing cancer? Not necessarily, Cohen said.

    I

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  • CrunchyPoodleMama
    CrunchyPoodleMama Member Posts: 1,220
    edited December 2009

    I have NO doubt that this is true. (Of course, I'm sure there are happy-go-lucky, completely stress-free people who still got bc -- but obviously they had other risk factors that caused it in their case.)

    I read somewhere that bc is often diagnosed 12 to 18 months after a major emotional trauma (yes, I realize this flies in the face of what we're all told about cancer growing for 10 years or more before it's detected). In my case, my massive lump of DCIS appeared about a year after the most horrible tragedy of my life. (I spent the next year not only in deep depression, but stressed out because that depression led to losing a good friend because my abandonment of her ruined her and her family's lives, etc.). 

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  • Jenniferz
    Jenniferz Member Posts: 541
    edited December 2009

    I hope this is NOT true, as there is an awful lot going on in my family right now, and most of it is not good. However, stress does mess up your auto-immune system, causing one to weaken and get many other illnesses, so why not have it help the cancer move along, too.  I was diagnoses the year I retired.....so really, there was no stress that was out of the ordinary.  OR, could there have been, and I just didn't know?  My father was murdered within the 8-10 year timespan when cancer develops, and that was/is traumatic, so---------------------?(Now cold case)

    One day, we'll know the answer.  Not going to stress out over what did cause the cancer, nor will I stress out over what mistakes I did or do that will cause it to start up again.  I just take each day as it comes, and do the best I can!

    Seasons Blessings, everyone!

    Jennifer

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  • Kitchenwitch
    Kitchenwitch Member Posts: 374
    edited December 2009

    Not to be combative, but read the last line of this report carefully: "Not necessarily." No study has yet shown a direct cause-and-effect relationship between cancer and stress.

    We're all going through enough here without thinking that we somehow caused it by reacting poorly to rough situations. Seriously, I've lived through enough stress to kill someone by now -- starting with an infertility battle, a premature baby who was hospitalized for a year, who now has autism, and on and on and on... I think my diagnosis would be so much more severe if stress were a real factor, but it's stage 0 DCIS.

    What I try to do is reduce stress (because it makes life easier and better) and eat well and get enough sleep.

    The study above sounds kind of flawed to me. I mean, who HASN'T experienced stressful events if you go back a few years? The death of a parent... the loss of a job... moving... life IS stress! Yet not everyone gets cancer. That said, I do believe that autoimmune diseases are linked to stress. Study after study has in fact shown a higher incidence of these among parents of disabled children. Just sayin'. I have not heard of higher incidences of cancer among parents of disabled kids. 

     OK, off my soapbox.  

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  • Hindsfeet
    Hindsfeet Member Posts: 2,456
    edited December 2009

    Stress is only one factor of many that could put us at risk for diseases such as breast cancer. The last line of the info I posted. No study can prove that stress causes breast cancer.  Nor for that matter, diet, or anything else...but, abnormal high stress puts us at risk for breast cancer...again, at risk. 

    Kit- I feel for you. What you've gone through is hard, and very stressful. There are stresses you can't escape, such as a special needs child. Just getting their needs met is sometimes like trying to break through impossible walls. You feel like you are always fighting for them. We took a special needs child in for several years. I know a little of what stresses come with those kinds of needs.

    Your statement  that your cancer would be more severe than dcis if stress was a factor? Uhmmm...dcis is cancer. It begins there. You were forunate to find it before it became invasive. It takes time for dcis to grow.  

    We live in a very stressful world. There are those who handle stress better than others. It is my opinion that those of us who have been dx with breast cancer need to find ways to eradicate as much stress as we can from our lives. I say this in full realization that there are somethings we have no control of. For me right now  ... it's letting go of things I can't do anything about. It's not worrying about how I am going to pay all my medical bills. I still haven't paid all the medical bills from a year ago. It's forgetting yesterday, and living for today. I want to get rid of what stresses me out so I don't have another recurrence of breast cancer.

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  • ElaineD
    ElaineD Member Posts: 2,265
    edited December 2009

    "Stress"-and many other things too! This has been "proven"/"disproved" so often over the years. I agree completely with Kitchenwitch-we have enough to deal with living with it in our lives without feeling in some way responsible for it. Like every other aspect of cancer-it's a sneaky and evil disease, which follows no rules-so trying to attribute our illness to stress, will likley only casue.....stress.

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  • Kitchenwitch
    Kitchenwitch Member Posts: 374
    edited December 2009

    Nicely said, Elaine! 

    Barry, I really just meant to say what Elaine did: that we have enough on our plates without adding the idea that perhaps we could have avoided an illness by avoiding stress.  

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  • dee1961
    dee1961 Member Posts: 1,672
    edited December 2009

    Posts like this make me have stress. Looking for a reason that we got BC I suppose is normal, but there are no concrete reasons why we got it and others did not. We just have to accept that it did happen to us and move on the best ways we can. And another vent is that I HATE the breaking news thing that BCO has put up on the site-not! Did you know that being FAT causes it too?  Argh! now I'm stressed, I think I'll have a Twinkie and a Bloody Mary for breakfast.

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  • Kitchenwitch
    Kitchenwitch Member Posts: 374
    edited December 2009

    Dee, enjoy your delicious breakfast and don't stress! If it makes you feel any better, my very beloved aunt died at age 80 or so. She was hugely overweight all her life. She had a heart attack (and heart problems previously). She never had diabetes. She did not have any cancer. Really... part of it is is heredity. Part of it might be environmental? But part of it is just seeing things we never saw before. I love bloody marys! I think I'll have one this weekend and raise my glass to you.

     Best wishes! 

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  • Hindsfeet
    Hindsfeet Member Posts: 2,456
    edited December 2009

    This is a thread on breast cancer risks...I am only saying that stress is one of many factors that compromises our immune system and put us at risk for b.c. I am not saying it causes breast cancer...no one thing does!

    Dense breast, being overweight, genetics and our enviroment also puts us at risk for b.c. I am doing what I can to remain cancer free, and for me it is to eliminate uneeded stress in my life.

    To add, the first thing I did after my recurrence was to go to a naturalpathic doctor to find natural ways to prevent another recurrence...and one thing I learned was to get rid of uneeded stress. I mean no harm...and see no need to be scarcastic about this tread.  I posted because  I believe getting rid of stress would help women fight the disease better. If this thread adds stress to your life, don't read it. Stay away from things that stress you. 

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  • Merilee
    Merilee Member Posts: 3,047
    edited December 2009

    I took this post to mean, take a look at your life and try to eliminate stress. I did not read any blame into it. I for one am taking steps to simplify my life and destress. This included throwing a few highly stressful people out of my life. I for one do believe that stress is a factor as I was under a ton of stress for a good long time before my diagnosis. I think it is one factor along with environmental toxins that are in our food and just about everywhere. I have not family history, & no genetic link. The reason to look at causes is not to kick yourself in the butt for not avoiding it, but to try our best to avoid anything that may be a factor in a recurrence.

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  • jancie
    jancie Member Posts: 2,631
    edited December 2009

    Merilee - I agree with you.  I am doing everything possible to eliminate any stress in my life.

    I know that stress can cause other illnesses, my dh had a total blackout one day when he was going through a very stressful time.  He came to the room said he wasn't feel well.  He started slurring his words and then passed out cold.  They never did find out the cause though they ran a full battery of tests.

    On the other hand, I went through 18 months of really bad stress after being falsely accused of physical abuse by my stepdaughter who was manipulated by her biological mother to make this accusation so that she could run over there and live with dear mommy who is a drug addict and the mother didn't want to spend the money to go to court and try to regain custody.  For those 18 months I was just waiting to get arrested.  6 months after that I was dx with BC.  Did the stress cause it?  I don't know, I will never know but I do know that stress can play havoc on your body and cause illnesses - heart attacks, strokes, etc.  

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited December 2009

    Merilee, Jancie and all - I agree - I am taking the time to think about the choices I make and people in my life.  We have a ton of house guests - like two weekends a month it seems that we have visitors.  All fun, but a ton of work - and it barely slowed down during chemo and rads.  Some friends called last week and said they wanted to come for a visit next week.  I just called them and told them that it wasn't going to work out.  I need time with my family to just chill out and relax.

    It is okay for me to say no - which I have learned I don't do enough of!  My new mantra is to not commit to anything until I have had 24 hours to think about it, check all schedules and talk to my husband.  THEN - if the answer is no, I say "that is just not going to work for me".

    I too have no family history and don't fit the risk factors (except low vitamin D which I think plays a part) and here I am.  I had a stressful couple of years prior to diagnosis - moving states, kids having a hard time adjusting etc. and think that contributed.  I also agree that it seems to be the perfect storm of a concoction - stress, environment,  possible unknown genetics etc. that must make our immune systems fail - this is just my opinion.

    Let's just add that the stress of having cancer, treatment choices and also the treatments are a lot of stress for us AND our families.  I can not WAIT for 2010.  2008/2009 really was awful.

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  • bonnie1jean
    bonnie1jean Member Posts: 40
    edited January 2010

    I am a very strong believer in stress being the cause of major illnesses.  I was just diagnosed in December 2009. For the last  3 years I have been under tremendous stress.  Three years ago my mom, who was my best friend, became very ill and suffered horribly for 4 months before passing away.  It was the worst time of my life.  Then to add to the stress, my boss has continuously done despicable things to me, making my work life an absolute nightmare.  I only continue to work there because of the bad economy and poor job market.  He has more mood swings than a woman with PMS.  When I was diagnosed I said to everyone that if there is one absolute cause for this, I would have to say it is the stress of working for this man.  Also of note is that 18 months ago I developed high blood pressure which I am sure was brought on by stress.

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