Relation Between Stress And Cancer

You will find that relationship between our physicality and mentality is unquestionable. Optimal health is termed as a combination of physical, mental, and emotional well-being of an individual. Obviously therefore when one aspect is faulty, the effect is seen on other as well. No wonder the term “psychosomatic” is applied to varied diseases these days. And cancer is no exception. Many theories suggest that there is a close relation between stress and cancer.

The scientists have found that individual when goes through the saddest phase of his or her life, his approach to it decides his fate. For example, if the person gets too stressed out and depressed due to certain mis-happening in life, he is more prone to developing the dreaded cancers that the person who maintains the positive attitude even through the lean period.

Let’s see some of the theories or postulates that point towards close relationship between cancer and stress:

(1) Scientists have proved in some studies that there is a relation between stress and certain virus-related tumors.

(2) There is a theory that suggests that chronic stress weakens the person’s immune system and the person is no more capable of resisting foreign probes on to his body. This might explain the occurrence of certain virus related tumors too like Kaposi’s sarcoma and other lymphomas.

(3) Stress alters body’s neuro-endocrine response to protect the body against the development of cancer. This also alters DNA repair and cell growth regulation, thus resulting in cancer.

(4) It is seen in some studies that women with breast cancer who endure some traumatic life events report early recurrence of breast cancer than other women.

(5) It is also evident that people with positive attitude and those who can handle stress better respond to cancer treatments better and the prognosis is obviously good in them than those tensed and stressed out people.

Well, all these are still in postulate stage and no definitive conclusion has been derived. But from these theories and studies, it can be said that there is a relationship between stress, trauma, and cancer. Obviously being stress free gives you many more benefits on health front. May be you can prevent cancers! How wonderful it is!