Stress leads to cancer spread through the lymphatic system

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In keeping with other studies, this study indicates that chronic stress does not "cause" cancer, but may affect the progression and metastasis of existing cancer.

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/45476/title/How-Stress-Affects-Cancer-s-Spread/

And these researchers provide further evidence for beta-blockers (like propranolol) as a potential treatment. "Administering beta-blockers to tumor-bearing mice, the researchers were able to minimize changes in the density of lymph vessels at the primary tumor site, and subsequently reduce metastasis to the lymph nodes."

"The study also included an analysis of observational data from a cohort of nearly 1,000 breast cancer patients in Milan, which corroborate the team's findings in mice: patients taking beta-blockers showed a significantly lower incidence of lymph node and distant metastases, even once potentially confounding factors such as age and treatment type had been taken into account."


Of course we don't have to look at just drugs for stress management. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), meditation, yoga, and other stress reduction techniques could all be helpful. The following article is about research that found survival benefits for BC patients trained in CBT techniques.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/15120...





Comments

  • cp418
    cp418 Member Posts: 7,079
    edited March 2016

    http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/EBCC/1...


    EBCC: Beta-Blocker Role in Breast Cancer Examined


    BARCELONA -- Breast cancer patients on concomitant beta-blocker therapy had significantly better outcomes compared with other patients, including a reduced risk of metastasis and improved disease-specific survival, data from an observational study showed.



    Patients taking beta blockers had a 57% reduction in the risk of distant metastasis and a 71% reduction in the risk of breast cancer-specific death, as compared with patients on other antihypertensive agents or no antihypertensive therapy, Des Powe, PhD, reported here at the European Breast Cancer Conference.



    However, studies of adrenergic receptor expression showed no associations with clinical outcome.

  • leggo
    leggo Member Posts: 3,293
    edited March 2016

    Whenever I read these studies, I usually see if there is a link in how my own disease fits in. Both of these make perfect sense to me, though I do believe stress was actually ONE of the factors that precipitated my cancer diagnosis. At initial diagnosis, I think it went from 0 to 60 because of stress and that a beta blocker (prescribed after treatments trashed my heart) slowed it down a bit.

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