by P Henry
For over 30 years the evidence that stress affects cancer growth has been documented[1]. Chronic stress is implicated in cancer initiation, outcome and even efficacy of medical treatments[2].
Stressor experiences, with negative emotions, occur when an environmental stimulus exceeds perceived coping abilities. It becomes a threat in that perceived context, interacting with biochemical feedback[3] and genetic responses[4].
This is not about blaming individuals’ inadequacies but providing tools[5] to deal with the environmental problems with and of cancer. Useful mental and physical skills addressing cancer & stress[6] can be learned[7].
The main causes of cancer are multifactorial[8]. Yet its progression and management[9] can be altered by individual actions. Allowing stressors to grow into a crisis can worsen, even trigger its malignancy[10]. Reoccurring anxiety along, with untreated depression, negatively affects cancers treatments, QoL & outcome [11]. Chronic stressors, experienced in an environment, are a source of cancer[12] [13] . This is worsened by untreated depression and fatigue[14].
Our emotions affect our immune system, through the mutual feedback systems of the HPA[15] [16] [17] and ANS[18]. This impairs immune ability to defend against tumour growth and its related genetic modifications[19] [20].
While the immune system has a capacity to deal with cancer growth, this is reduced by stress and overwhelmed by cellular development.[21] Practising[22] psycho-social therapies[23] (superior to simply using antidepressants or anxiolytics) reduces stressors and strengthens the immune system[24].
Continuing our poor coping activities increases negative feedback and encourages cancer growth[25]. The habits[26] and habitus[27] we repeat in our thinking or social patterns and physical postures need to change to achieve positive change.
Our response to a stimulus can create an acute or chronic, adaptive or maladaptive stress reaction. The context of the situation and personal factors such as age, early life experiences, sex, genetic mechanisms, perceived social support, one’s class & status, sleep & circadian patterns with expectations add further intervening variables.
Next section: physical exercises.
[1] Psychological stress and cancer: new evidence of an increasingly strong link. (1Oct20) M Abate, et al. Transl Med UniSa. 23. Improving quality of life: adjuvant psychological therapy for patients with cancer. (Jul1995) S Greer. Support Care Cancer. 3(4). Psychoneuroimmunology and cancer…. (0ct1999) J Kiecolt-Glaser et al. Eur J f Cancer. 35(11)
[2] Do stress-related psychosocial factors contribute to cancer incidence and survival? (Aug08) Yoichi Chida et al. Nat Clin Pract Oncol 5:8. Mind Matters in Cancer Survival. (21Mar12) D Spiegel. Psychooncology.21(6). Abate Ibid.
[3] Your psychological inputs have reciprocal feedback system with the HPA and SNS. Epigenetic Control of Immunity. (6Jun14) M Busslinger & A Tarakhovsky. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol.6(6).
[4] The Telomere Effect (2017) Elizabeth Blackburn. Orion. Molecules of Emotion…. (1999) Candice Pert. Scribner.
[5] Unraveling the Mystery of Health. (1987). A Antonovsky. Jossey-Bass. Shows how people manage stress and stay well using a sense of resources. How SOC (comprehensibility, meaningfulness, and manageability) is an essential resource base. Having volition offers learning new tools. The Sense of Coherence in the Salutogenic Model of Health (2017) M Eriksson. The Handbook of Salutogenesis.
[6] Stress as “a general adaptation syndrome in which a complex mechanism of activation of neuro- endocrine system works to prepare the body to attack or escape behaviour”. Confusion and controversy in the stress field. (1975) H Selye. J Human Stress. Stress and disorders of the stress system. (2009) G Chrousos. Nat Rev Endocrinol 5
[7] Psychologic Intervention Improves Survival for Breast Cancer Patients…. (15Dec08) B L Andersen et al. Cancer.113(12). From health education to healthy learning… (7Mar11) B Lindström, et al. Scan J of Pub Health 39(6)
[8] Often include ‘environmental, biogenetic or spontaneous.’ Environmental issues can be seen as invasive, avoidable or manageable elements. Invasive societal carcinogens include air quality, asbestos, radiation, biological agents etc. Avoidable carcinogens include tobacco, alcohol, fungi, deficit/excessive diets, certain exposures- like sunlight, radon, etc. How the environment is silently shaping your risk for cancer. (2024) Niyati Jain. U of Chicago Medicine. N Parsa (2012) ibid. Air pollutant impact on disease characteristics and outcomes …. (2024) A Palmer et al. Blood Adv 8(17). The fraction of cancer attributable to lifestyle and environmental…. (6Dec11) D M Parkin et al. B. J. of Cancer 105. Are There Environmental or Health Factors that Can Cause Lung Cancer? | American Lung Association. Cancer-Causing Substances in the Environment, NCI. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances . Protecting Minnesotans from Environmental Harm. (2025) https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/hazardous/docs/protectmnfromharm.pdf
[9] Carcinogenesis. (2021) D M Grant. in The Basic Science of Oncology. Where the “the carcinogenic process has 3 stages, termed tumor initiation, tumor promotion, and tumor progression.” …and its development of “error-prone DNA replication’, resulting in fixation of mutations within the genome of individual cells”.
[10] The influence of bio-behavioural factors on tumour biology…. (2006) Antoni MH, et al.. Nat Rev Cancer. 6(3). Psychological Stress and Cancer. (Jan-Mar17) C.M. Conti, et al. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol.
[11] Emotional distress: the sixth vital sign in cancer care. (10Sept05) Barry D Bultz, Linda E Carlson. J Clin Oncol. 23(26). And their (5Jul21) J of Clin Oncol. Progress toward integrating Distress as the Sixth Vital Sign. (July 2019) E Fradgley, et al. Distress among cancer patients.… (Mar23) Ashraf Kagee. S African J of Psych. v 53:1. Responses to cancer diagnosis and treatment: posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic growth. (8Oct03) M J Cordova et al. Semin Clin Neuropsychiatry.
[12] Emotional distress: the sixth vital sign in cancer care. ibid, And their (5Jul21) J of Clin Oncol. Progress toward integrating Distress as the Sixth Vital Sign. (July 2019) E Fradgley, et al. Distress among cancer patients.… (Mar23) Ashraf Kagee. S African J of Psych. v 53:1. Responses to cancer diagnosis and treatment: posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic growth. (8Oct03) M J Cordova et al. Semin Clin Neuropsychiatry.
[13] The influence of bio-behavioural factors on tumour biology…. (2006) Antoni MH, et al.. Nat Rev Cancer. 6(3). Psychological Stress and Cancer. (Jan-Mar17) C.M. Conti, et al. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol.
[14] Emotional distress…. ibid. And their (5Jul21) J of Clin Oncol. Progress toward integrating Distress …. (July 2019) Fradgley, ibid. High levels of untreated distress and fatigue in cancer patients. (May04) L E Carlson et al. Br J Cancer 90(12).
[15] Chronic Stress Promotes Cancer Development. (19Aug20) Shirui Dai et al. Front Oncol. Stress linked to poor outcomes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. (13Dec18) B Anderson. Hemo Onc Today. Patient Stress Is Linked With Cancer Cell Proliferation. (19Sept18) Kelly Davio. AMJC. Cells, cytokines, chemokines, and cancer stress… (14May18) Barbara L Anderson et al. Am Can Soc J. 124(15). Allostatic Load and Its Impact on Health…. (2020) Jenny Guidi; et al. Psychother Psychosom. 90 (1). Stress, depression, the immune system, and cancer. (Oct04) E M Vissoci Reiche et al. The Lancet 5(10).
[16] Chronic Stress Promotes Cancer Development. (19Aug20) Shirui Dai et al. Front Oncol.10. Stress linked to poor outcomes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. (13Dec18) B Anderson. Hemo Onc Today. Patient Stress Is Linked With Cancer Cell Proliferation. (19Sept18) Kelly Davio. AMJC. Cells, cytokines, chemokines, and cancer stress… (14May18) Barbara L Anderson et al. Am Can Soc J. 124(15).
Allostatic Load and Its Impact on Health…. (2020) Jenny Guidi; et al. Psychother Psychosom. 90 (1). Stress, depression, the immune system, and cancer. (Oct04) E M Vissoci Reiche et al. The Lancet 5(10).
[17] Chronic Stress Promotes Cancer Development. (19Aug20) Shirui Dai et al. Front Oncol. Stress linked to poor outcomes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. (13Dec18) B Anderson. Hemo Onc Today. Patient Stress Is Linked With Cancer Cell Proliferation. (19Sept18) Kelly Davio. AMJC. Cells, cytokines, chemokines, and cancer stress… (14May18) Barbara L Anderson et al. Am Can Soc J. 124(15). Allostatic Load and Its Impact on Health…. (2020) Jenny Guidi; et al. Psychother Psychosom. 90 (1). Stress, depression, the immune system, and cancer. (Oct04) E M Vissoci Reiche et al. The Lancet 5(10).
[18] Role of the nervous system in cancers. (12Apr21) Huan Wang et al. Cell Death Discov. 7:76
[19] Roles of the immune system in cancer…. (1Oct18) H Gonzalez et al. Genes Dev 32(19-20). Why doesn’t the immune system attack cancer cells?’ (29Feb19) G Beer. Cancer News/Cancer Research UK. Reiche (Oct04) ibid.
[20] Roles of the immune system in cancer…. (1Oct18) H Gonzalez et al. Genes Dev 32(19-20). Why doesn’t the immune system attack cancer cells? ibid. Reiche (Oct04) ibid. Immune to Cancer(30Apr19) Can Research Inst. https://www.cancerresearch.org/blog/how-does-the-immune-system-work-cancer
[21] capacity…but also by the evasiveness of cancer development. Roles of the immune system in cancer: from tumor initiation to metastatic progression. (1Oct18) Hugo Gonzalez et al. Genes Dev.1;32. Immune to Cancer (30Apr19) Can Research Inst.
[22] Decrease in Depression Symptoms Is Associated With Longer Survival …. (13Dec10) J Giese-Davis et al. Clin Oncol. 29(4).
[23] PNI treatments enriched by J Kiecolt-Glaser. …Psychoneuroimmunology and cancer. (2002) J Keicot-glaser. Ann Oncol 13suppl 4.
Psychoneuroimmunology … (22Aug24) W B Malarkey. Compr Psychoneuroendocrinol.
[24] ‘Psychoneuroimmunology and Cancer: The New Insights for Improving Immune Activation and Quality of Life in Cancer Patients’ (10Jan25) S Gezici. PsychoNeuroImmunology
[25] Do stress-related psychosocial factors contribute to cancer incidence and survival? (2008) Y Chida, et al. Nat Clin Pract Oncology v.5 23. Stress alters the expression of cancer-related genes…. (5Sept17) I E Flores et al. BMC Cancer.17:621.
[26] Habits: Friends or Foes? (2023) R Rickover. https://www.alexandertechnique.com/articles/habits/. The Use of the Self. (1932/1985) F M Alexander. Orion.
[27] Habitus, in its different forms, involves how people perceive and respond to their personalised inhabited world. See Pierre Bourdieu. Outline of a Theory of Practice. (1977). Cambridge Univ. P. and Distinction …. (1984) Harvard Univ. P.
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