Number 3 Why Stress Control is Important During Cancer Treatment

The plan is for me to write a series of blogs about cancer. You will read this small paragraph every time you read one of these blogs because it is an explanation and a disclaimer. First of all, why should I do this and what qualifies me to do so? The answer to the second question is that I am a cancer immunologist with a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and have 30-years experience in not only research, but also in the experiences of cancer patients. I have published numerous articles and a book about immunity to cancer and have two other books about my experiences with research and cancer patients as well as a fictional account of the final cure for the disease. However, none of this experience allows me to give advice or otherwise tell people what to do if they have cancer. I can be viewed as a participant/observer who will be relaying current and past observations about this world called “cancer”, which many people do not understand. That’s the answer to the first question, which is why I should do this. The first step in overcoming anything is to understand it first. With that being said, here they are:

Number 3 Why Stress Control is Important During Cancer Treatment

For many years it was suspected that emotional stress interfered with the body’s ability to heal. However, recently the scientific facts concerning this phenomenon have revealed the biological systems that are most vulnerable to emotional stress. It was recently determined that the ability of wounds to heal was adversely affected by psychological stress experienced by the subject. Prior to this study there was documented proof that increased anxiety prior to surgery was associated with a slower and more problem-ridden postoperative recovery. Around this same time a controlled study was performed on the arms of women who were determined to have different levels of psychological stress in their lives. A suction device generated blisters and then the blister itself was contained in a plastic band, which contained blood serum from the test subject. After 5 days the serum that coated the blisters was analyzed for what is called proinflammatory cytokines. These bioactive proteins aid in wound healing by restructuring the tissue and inducing immune cells to the site to prevent infection. In addition, they also play a powerful role during the immune response to cancer. The women were separated into psychologically stressed or not stressed in their personal lives by questionnaires. It was found that the women who were the most stressed in their personal lives had altered amounts of these proinflammatory cytokines associated with their wound.

As far as a direct link between stress and development and progression of cancer is concerned, the observation in leukemia was that the amount of stress and anxiety a patient experienced was directly related to the prognosis (outcome) of their cancer. In other words, more emotional stress led to a progression of the leukemia. In several studies an immune cell called a NK (natural killer) cell was found to be responsible for killing leukemic cells, especially after anti-leukemic bone marrow transplantation therapy. Scientist used this information to demonstrate that leukemia progression was observed in animals that were stressed. Not only did the leukemia cells grow faster when compared to non-stressed animals, but also their NK cells were temporarily unable to kill the leukemic cells. These negative effects on killer cell function were found to be mediated by epinephrine and several other bioactive proteins released during stress. In human studies of this phenomenon, where increase patient emotional stress leads to cancer progression, researchers have not only reversed the stress-related cancer progression by psychotherapy, but have also identified the increased presence of a cell that specifically suppresses immune responses to cancer in emotionally stressed cancer patients. This was a randomized clinical trial with stage II and III breast cancer patients where psychological intervention was used to reduce stress. The results in the group that received psychological counseling consisted of increased immune function, less recurring disease, and improved survival/quality of life. Using stress questionnaires, two groups of patients were identified, which were those with high stress levels and those with low stress levels. Blood was collected from each group and what was found was that the high stress patients not only had elevated numbers of myeloid-derived suppressor cells, but also had elevated levels of suppressive bioactive immune proteins called lymphokines. For the first time, under controlled conditions, the biological relationship between emotional stress and the progression of cancer has been demonstrated in humans. Studies such as these one point the way towards newer approaches to the successful treatment of cancer by altering the mental state of the patient. How this is done and when is of critical importance to not only the success or failure of the treatment, but also recovery from the disease.