Connection with BC dx and stress negativity difficult times?

I totally believe that stress plays a role in many of our illnesses, including breast cancer. I have had a lifetime of trials and tribulations; deaths, divorce, disasters, career debacles. But the year or two before my first suspicious mammogram which led the next year to my BC diagnosis was the absolute worst period in my life. I know we are told tumors, especially ER+ IDC, are slowly growing for seven to ten years before they are big enough to show up on mammos. But perhaps a healthy psychi, a well nourished body, good sleep, and a happy heart are better able to beat back the aberrant cell growth that often leads to a cancer. Of course it isn't, can't be that simple. But I certainly try to find the path of least resistance these days.

add me to the list.  Cared for my mother at the end of her stage IV diagnosis and passing.  Diagnosed five years later at the age of 34 with BC.  I will also add I got my first grey hair a couple of weeks before she passed.  ( A long standing grey hair joke in our family- long story.)

  OOPS...I forgot to say....me too with stress for years....but not now....

Take Care Girls,

Kim

My question is this:  why are some women able to tolerate huge amounts of stress and remain free of bc while others are afflicted by it? 

I have three older sisters, none of whom have bc, and neither did my mother.  Yes, I've experienced at times a large amount of stress, yet so have my sisters.  One of my sisters never had children.  One has smoked all her life.  My mother smoked most of her life.  My mother was married to an alchoholic and lived a difficult life.  I'm married to a great guy and live a more comfortable life than my mother and a couple of my sisters.  Yet I am the one dealing with bc.

So, as I said, why is it that some women juggle enormous amounts of stress and not get canser?   The stress factor.....somehow, some ways it doesn't add up to me..... 

Dr. Marisa Weiss, the founder of Breastcancer.org, wrote a blog post called Don't Stress About Stress and Risk for the Lower Your Risk section of the main site. It talks about this subject, as well as some ways to relieve stress in our lives.

The Mods

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Yes, yes and yes. My family doctor agreed - the first thing she said to me was, "Who says stress doesn't bring out cancer!!?" I had just been through a year and a half of State Farm accusing my husband of burning our house down as we moved. It was horrifying and we spent a lot of effort trying to find who did it and how, etc. I was so afraid that I would lose the house that I had just moved into because of it and be a single parent with two special needs kids in a new state where I didn't know anyone. My tumor was found about four weeks after his arrest. Fortunately, we were able to find a good attorney and worked our way through it as we went through all my treatments and things turned out fairly well.

I too have wondered about this very topic. 3 years preceding my DX was probably the most stressful of my life so it has crossed my mind.  On the upside I am changing my life to downscale it which will relieve a ton of stress in the very near future.  The one thing I am gratefull for since being DX is the realization of what truly makes me happy and what doesn't.  So these things I am about to rectify.

Thank You all for your responses & support. I am in the midst of losing job of 15 years & not having dual coverage any longer. Mom has passed, massive stroke while we were lunching..hospice and her durable power of attorney for medical made my choices more comfortable. But this is also my 3rd round of depression and medication in 30 years. (I'm 60). Part of me is having a three years old tantrum..kicking my feet and saying no, then I read your experiences and realise I am blessed. Thanks again...

 Rachel...me too ,that was my stress as well...had a tough time getting pregnant with my son...then years of not being able to have a second...then a surprise pregnancy at 42...could only carry 7 weeks and miscarried...but I do wonder about (first) the estrogen levels up and down and then the pregnancy...I know my estrogen was really flowing then. I am highly er+....I wonder how many of us have infertility issues too???

Kim

And yet I continue to ask the question:  why would stress affect some women and not others.  I know many, many women who've dealt with all kinds of enormous stresses in their lives yet did not get bc. 

Yes, definitely. Studies do show that people with severe mood disorders have higher rates of cancer (including breast) as well as other problems like cardiovascular disease. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal gland axis may play a role.

I definitely think stress  contributed to my cancer, as has my comorbidity. I just announced my resignation from a job that I was beginning to worry could make my cancer come back - I just had that feeling somehow. A huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders and I am no longer so worried about this.

I have never doubted a connection between stress and cancer - which does NOT mean that everyone who gets BC had stress, of course.

But studies also show that caregivers to seriously ill people who die have high rates of falling ill themselves. Again, not a guarantee, but something psychiatrists have noticed.

I was diagnosed with BC in right breast end of Nov 2011, I was given the option of a lumpectomy however my mother (who was diagnosed with alzheimers 15 years ago now in a special home because has no memory at all) had right CA had rad mastectomy then tamafoxin for 5 yrs - 6 months later diagnosed with CA on Left breast they took 3/4 of her breast she did not want reconstruction. I opted for a bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction with silicon implants. The site where the cancer was the skin died 4 weeks post-op, back to surgery revision of site skin died again, back to surgery for a flap tube taken from under arm to under breast graphed to open wound thankfully it took. the graph was separated 3 weeks later in doctors office no pain at all. I was on 3 different antibiotics for 3 months causing sever diarrhea I am still having problem after another month. I returned to work at end of March full time now I am finding difficulty with stress and my depression has increased dramatically so much that I cant work in addition to exhaustion. My family is extremely supportive in additionally have several medical problem very low iron levels and cant tolerate any oral iron supplements seeing my hematologist later this week my rheumatoid arthritis which has been mild since childhood has now flared up. Is anyone having any difficulties with additional depression and exhaustion and what are you doing to over these obstacles? Sorry for the lenght of this post but I wanted to include important info. thank you