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 relation-ship 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.