Stress is ubiquitous in everyone’s life. Major stressors include life events such as the loss of a job, moving or a divorce. Stressors can be acute, like dealing with a rude driver. Stressors can even be imagined, like worrying about the future. Regardless of the source of stress, the impact of stress on the body is the same, and over time, it can be a major contributor to many diseases. Studies have linked stress to the development or worsening of diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and even cancer.
How Does Stress Contribute to Cancer?
It has been well established that during chronic stress, stress hormones such as epinephrine and norepinephrine interact with tumour tissue. Tumour cells have receptors that can be stimulated by stress hormones. While the process is complex, stress can impact cancerous tissue in the following ways:
- stress hormones bind to cancer cells and interfere with cell death;
- stress hormones contribute to new blood vessel growth in the area of the tumour, increasing the risk of metastasis;
- stress hormones cause inflammation near the tumour bed, which can contribute to cancer growth;
- stress hormones increase the release of cortisol, which can raise blood sugar, and then in turn can impair cancer cell death; and
- stress causes a decrease in cancer protective hormones, such as dopamine and oxytocin.
(Afrisham et al. The influence of psychological stress on the initiation and progression of diabetes and cancer. Int J Endocrinol Metab, 2019;17(2):e67400)
Stress Management as a Pillar to Health and Cancer Management
The title of this article is “stress management as a treatment for cancer.” This is not meant to imply that stress management is a cure for cancer. However, it is my firm belief that cancer treatment needs to address every aspect of health – mental, emotional, physical and pharmacological. Uncontrolled stress can have deleterious effects on our health, and so if you have a cancer diagnosis, paying strict attention to your stress levels is of upmost importance.
Stress Management Ideas
Sing!
Singing not only reduces the perceived feelings of stress, but it also reduces stress hormone levels. Since now you know about the importance of reducing stress hormone levels, sing your heart out! A recent study measured perceived anxiety and well-being before and after people with cancer joined a choir group, and found that over time, anxiety was reduced and well-being was increased (BMJ Open, 2019;9(8):e026995).
Raise Dopamine and Oxytocin Levels
The last bullet point above mentioned that stress decreases protective hormones, such as dopamine and oxytocin. Dopamine inhibits cancer progression, and oxytocin reduces the feeling of stress. Therefore, we want to cause spikes in these hormones as much as possible. But how do we increase dopamine and oxytocin levels?
Dopamine is related to reward and motivation, and plays a role in memory and attention. As previously mentioned, it inhibits cancer growth as well. Two of the most studied ways to increase dopamine are 1) listening to music, and 2) meditating. Music therapy is an accepted form of integrative treatment, and has been shown to reduce heart rate and blood pressure, decrease anxiety and pain, and improve fatigue and quality of life (Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2016;15(8)). Meditation is a mind-body therapy and has been shown to improve nausea, pain, and depression (Curr Oncol Rep, 2017;19(10):67).
Oxytocin is our “love” hormone. As you might expect, oxytocin can be increased in the brain through human contact. Give someone a gift. Pay someone a compliment, and mean it. Say “I love you” to your friends and family. Give and receive hugs. Human contact makes us feel good, which lowers stress, and can be protective to our health. You know what they say – 8 hugs a day keeps the cancer away!
Should I put that on a T-shirt or what?!
The Wonder Woman Stance
Amy Cuddy is a researcher at Harvard University who studies body language. She conducted a very famous study on performing “power poses” and how they impact cortisol and testosterone levels. What she found is that standing with your hands confidently on your hips for two minutes can decrease your cortisol levels, and increase your testosterone levels. This pose leaves people feeling more confident and assertive. She recommends standing like this before going into a stressful situation, such as a presentation or asking your boss for a raise.
Perhaps even this pose could leave you feeling more hopeful and resilient. Do this pose before getting treatment, or going to a doctor’s appointment, or even just on a daily basis. Little tricks like this that can actually decrease stress hormone levels are excellent ways to be proactive about your health.
Other Stress Management Ideas
There are innumerable methods that one can utilize for stress management, but I really like the above suggestions because they are fun, free, and easy to do. However, stress management is also personal, so have some fun exploring different ideas. Exercise has been shown to decrease stress in a number of studies. There are many calming herbs that reduce stress such as lavender or ashwaghanda, or supplements such as GABA or L-theanine. The list is really endless.
The point is that while stress management may be an obvious addition to your treatment, it is important to actually focus on finding time to implement whatever strategies work best for you. And if one strategy does not work, try something else. Be consistent – it might just save your life.
