Did stress or depression cause the cancer?

28. Did stress or depression cause the cancer?

Many people believe that stress, depression, or personal
characteristics lead to cancer development and
affect its growth. There are books written on the subject,
and the media seem to report on this issue frequently.
Additionally, this belief is hard to challenge.

People want to believe that there is a cause for their
loved one’s cancer, and they often focus on what is
sometimes called the “mind-body connection.”

Simply put, it is unlikely that stress or depression
causes cancer. Despite research linking stress and/or
other emotional reactions to specific changes in people’s
hormone levels, certain types of immune functioning,
and influencing other medical problems such
as heart disease, this connection has not been proven
for cancer. It is not true that someone “gave himself
cancer” by having certain personality characteristics,
being depressed, or being stressed.

The few research studies that have shown a relationship
between stress or other psychosocial issues and
cancer have been limited in scope, have flaws in their
research design, and have been widely questioned by
specialists in this area. Other researchers have tried to
replicate and improve these studies, but so far have
failed to find a cause–effect relationship between stress
and/or depression and cancer growth or length of survival.

Further research is needed to investigate the
mind-body connection more fully, and many researchers
are focusing on this topic.

We do know, however, that mood and other emotional
factors may lead to behaviors that promote health.

These behaviors, in turn, may indirectly enhance life
expectancy. For example, a person who is enthusiastic
about life, enjoys walking several miles a day, and eats
balanced meals is more likely to have regular health
check-ups and seek medical attention if something
physically doesn’t feel right. Early intervention may
detect cancer at an earlier stage, increasing the chances
of effective treatment. Alternatively, a person who is
eternally pessimistic and hopeless may postpone
important medical tests, such as a colonoscopy to
screen for colorectal cancer, or refuse or delay cancer
treatment because he erroneously believes that negative
outcomes are inevitable. Therefore, delaying medical
attention may affect the likelihood that the cancer
is treated successfully. If you believe that distress may
be affecting your loved one’s health-related or medical
decisions, discuss this with him or her and suggest
speaking with the doctor, or possibly a counselor.