There’s no question: living in a state of constant stress is bad for your health. If left unchecked, stress can cause high blood pressure, weight gain, and sometimes heart disease and diabetes. Constant stress can also make you extremely tired but unable to fall asleep. It can affect your mood, your relationships, and your habits.
But can it also cause cancer?
That’s a question that researchers have been trying to answer definitively for years. But as of now, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s National Cancer Institute (NCI), “the evidence that stress causes cancer is weak.”
Read MoreHowever, when these hormones are released constantly over an extended period of time, rapid heart rate and heightened blood pressure can become a problem. Risk factors for heart conditions, weight gain, and diabetes may rise.
“With regard to cancer, there is little convincing evidence that chronic stress causes cancer initiation,” Dr. Lorenzo Cohen, Professor and Director of the Integrative Medicine Program at MD Anderson Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet, “[But] there is extensive evidence that chronic stress can promote cancer growth and progression.” This, he said, is due to the fact that the constant release of epinephrine and norepinephrine “leads to diverse biological effects of key cancer pathways, including the stimulation of cancer invasion, suppressed immune function, and even reduced efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents.”
The suppressed immune function that Dr. Cohen mentioned may make it difficult for your body to attack cancer cells on its own.
“We know that there have been several studies that have looked at healing and recovery after cancer surgery or have looked at recurrence,” Dr. Heather Yeo, Associate Professor of Surgery and Healthcare Policy and Research at Weill Cornell Medical College, assistant attending surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, and medical advisor to SurvivorNet previously explained. “And we know that when your immune system is down, there’s an excess of stress hormones going on. Your body has a hard time recovering, and cancer takes advantage of that.”
No, stress does not cause cancer.
However, stress can cause various chain reactions of unhealthy phenomena, in turn creating a more hospitable environment for cancer to develop and spread.
That’s why it’s so important whether you’ve been diagnosed with cancer already or are looking to prevent a future diagnosis to take care of your body and mind.
Physical activity can work wonders. “Exercise, which is recommended to reduce stress levels, has been associated with a decrease in recurrence rates for certain cancers like colorectal cancer and breast cancer,” Dr. Ocean told us. Other ways to mitigate stress include getting enough sleep, eating healthily, and practicing mindfulness.
Meditation has also been proven to decrease psychological stress in those who are dealing with cancer. Survivor Shannon Masur, who previously spoke to SurvivorNet about her colon cancer and Lynch Syndrome, told us she knew very little about meditation at first but that it ultimately helped her to let go of her fears.
“I had never meditated before,” Shannon said.
“I thought it would be such a challenge, but it really wasn’t, and just having that sense of calmness that comes into me when I’m meditating has been really, really helpful for me.”
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