A member asked:

What kind of impact does stress have on breast cancer?

8 doctors weighed in across 4 answers

Very Important: There is no link between stress and development of breast cancer. Stress can adversely affect a womans' ability to undergo complex and lengthy breast cancer treatment- this in turn can lead to inferior results. Patients without psychosocial support for stress can develop problems such as ptsd, strained spousal relationships, sexual problems, etc.

Answered 3/10/2015

6.4k views

Thank

Stress can cause it.: Very recently there was a study that identified stress as an independent cause of a type of breast cancer-called triple negativethis type is very aggressive even at a small size. It means that this type does not have hormone receptors for estrogen and Progesterone also is negative for her2 receptors. This type accounts for about 15% of all breast cancer. We don't have targeted tx yet.

Answered 6/30/2014

6k views

Thank
Dr. Travis Kidner answered

Specializes in Surgical Oncology

Doesn't help: There is not clear evidence, but decreasing your stress has to be good thing.

Answered 4/4/2013

5.2k views

Thank
Dr. Liawaty Ho answered

Specializes in Hematology and Oncology

Stress and cancer: No strong evidence that stress causes any cancer. However , those who attempt to manage their stress with risky behaviors such as smoking or drinking alcohol- can increase the risk to have cancer related to their behavior. Also, from experimental studies- it's suggested that stress can affect a tumor’s ability to grow and spread. Emotional and social support can help cope with psychological stress.

Answered 4/4/2013

5.2k views

Thank

Related Questions

Sponsored Content
HealthTap Medical Group does not endorse products or services. Sponsored content revenues support our mission to make health information free and accessible to all.Learn more