Re[2]: journalistic cancers?-Stress Effect on Cancer Reply

[Ruth Weiner <rfweine@sandia.gov>]

Could you provide an actual reference for a quantitative relationship between 
worrying about getting cancer and getting it?  I am skeptical about "stress" and
I offer two pieces of evidence, albeit anecdotal.

1.  Stress does result in increased adrenalin secretion.  My late father did 
some basic medical research in endocrine disease, particularly of the adrenal 
(like adrenal hyperplasia) and found a number of readily observable severe 
effects of increased secretion of adrenal hormones (Cushing's syndrome,  
pseudohermaphroditism) but not excess cancers.
2.  People like me who DON'T (or didn't) worry enough about UV exposure to 
protect themselves are the ones who get UV-induced skin cancers.
3.  It is my impression that the habitual smokers who don't worry about smoking 
(which in fact reduces their stress) are far more at risk for lung and other 
cancers than the non-smokers who worry about second-hand smoke.

I am perfectly willing to be shown, however.

Ruth Weiner
Sandia National Labs
All usual disclaimers -- just my opinion.



______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: journalistic cancers?-Stress Effect on Cancer Reply
Author:  RADPROJECT@aol.com at hubsmtp
Date:    12/6/97 4:11 PM


Mike:
There is a growing body of research that stress is a risk factor for cancers of 
various kinds due to effects on the immune system or various other mechanisms. 
About 10 years ago I recall the evidence of this effect was even used in a  
letter from the Tobacco Institute to an epidemiology journal criticizing some 
then recent research on the effects of smoking on health. The Tobacco Institute 
spokesperson claimed [after citing numerous references to the scientific 
literature about the evidence of stress effects on cancer] that it wasn't 
second hand smoke that was causing the excess cancer seen in  family members of 
smokers but the stress caused by worrry about smoking by non- smoking family 
members or the henpecking by non-smokers on the smokers themselves!!
     
The point is there is growing research on the role of stress on cancer which 
is nevertheless supported by some decent research. For many risk factors, once 
the quantitative relationship between stress and cancer (or other health 
effects) are clearly isolated, it is likely that worry about a risk factor 
will far exceed the actual detriment of the risk factor about which 
individuals are worrying.
     
Stewart Farber, MSPH
Consulting Scientist
Public Health Sciences
(401) 727-4947