CHRONIC STRESS MAY CAUSE CANCER

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN --- STRESS AND CANCER

Ok Guys, I am not a Hematologist/Oncologist nor do I have the eligibility to comment on such complex and critical topics.

I found this out while studying on STRESS and its IMPACT on us.... and came across some interesting information that I thought you would be interested too.. regarding the Relationship between STRESS and CANCER.  I will try to keep it simple and in layman's term...

We are made up of cells.  Our body is composed of a huge number of different types of cells.  Each cells wears and tears and our body replaces those damaged cells with a new set of cells by a complex process called PROGRAMMED CELL DEATH or APOPTOSIS.  This process of killing of damaged cells of our body is governed by our IMMUNE SYSTEM.  Any damage to this system causes the abnormal or damaged cells to multiply... and MAY form a TUMOR/CANCER.

STRESS causes Pituitary Gland to send signals to our Adrenal Glands to produce more Stress Hormones, which includes Corticoids and Endorphins, that are released into our body...  These Corticoids and Endorphins slows down the activity of our IMMUNE SYSTEM...in an attempt to make the body use it's full resource into coping with the emergency situation causing STRESS.... They STOP the Production of WHITE BLOOD CELLS which are responsible for function of IMMUNE SYSTEM, destroying damaged abnormal cells and infectious agents.  This is called Stress-Induced Immunosupression... 

For example, some type of skin cancers (non-melanoma skin cancer and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma) in immunosuppressed solid organ transplanted patients, Kaposi sarcoma in AIDS patients, etc., are caused due to weak immune system.

So, we can say that : -
CHRONIC STRESS causes IMMUNOSUPPRESSION which causes INCREASED RISK FOR CANCER



Therefore, we can safely say that : -

CHRONIC STRESS may cause INCREASED RISK OF CANCER.