INVOLVING CHRONIC EMOTIONAL STRESS & Breast Cancer?
If the contention emotions contribute to cancer formation is to gain acceptance outside the field of traditional Chinese medical practitioners, finding a biological mechanism of action that could be measured in the short-term would be an important contribution. For example, if during a period of emotional stress there is a biochemical or physiological change that is understood to contribute to oncogenesis (cancer formation), then one could reasonably contend that emotions may be causing or working with other factors to cause some cases of cancer.
One of the biological mysteries that has faced researchers in recent years is the relationship of estrogen to breast cancer (see: Estrogen dependent tumors and herbs). For years, concerns have been raised about giving estrogen in hormone replacement therapy to women who were considered at risk for breast cancer due to familial history (genetic background). In fact, the familial history of breast cancer is a contraindication to using hormone replacement therapy after menopause. Based on a variety of research findings, it appeared as if estrogen, whether produced by the body or given as a pill, might cause the cancer, which seems peculiar, in that it is a normal component of the body.
Recent findings shed light on how estrogen is involved in oncogenesis and provides a model for a possible role of emotions (this model is highly speculative at this time, and is only used as an illustration). Estrogen is converted into different metabolites prior to elimination. There are two major metabolites-products of enzymes acting on estrogen-one of which can get to the DNA and actually induce cancer, and another which may help prevent cancer. One might say that there are “good” and “bad” estrogen metabolites. It is a situation that is reminiscent of the “good” and “bad” cholesterol in relation to heart disease. With cholesterol, it is actually the carrier molecules that are different: high density lipoproteins (HDL) and low density lipoproteins (LDL). HDL helps to prevent heart disease, while LDL contributes to it, because they have differing roles in transport and deposition of the cholesterol.
Researchers have found that exercise, which is a normal healthy activity, increases the HDL and decreases the LDL, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease. What if emotions, perhaps certain types of emotions (anxiety, depression) stimulate the enzymes directing more of the estrogen to the “bad” type of metabolite, rather than the “good” one? This would result in increased cancer risk; the risk would be substantially increased if the estrogen levels were unusually high (as when giving hormone replacement therapy), since there would be much more estrogen to be converted to the carcinogenic form.
Differences in metabolism of substances have been proposed as a basis for why some individuals develop cancer. In the book: How to Discover Cancer Through Self-Examination, an example is given:
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon is a very strong chemical carcinogen; but when it enters the human body, it will only cause cancer when functioning in the cell through the transformation of polycyclic aromatic kinase. If the content of kinase in the human body is high, it is easy to engender cancer when in contact with the chemical substance; to the contrary, the probability of cancer incidence is lower if the content of kinase is low, even if the person contacts the chemical.
Potential contributors to the level of enzymes (both those that transform chemicals into carcinogens and those that transform carcinogens into non-carcinogens) include genetic background, stimulation of the enzymes by other chemicals (e.g., alcohol and some other substances stimulate…. the liver to produce a large group of enzymes…. that are in substantial amount), nutritional status (some enzymes are affected by trace elements and vitamins that act as co-enzymes), tissue injury (liver damage may affect enzyme production), and other factors. It is possible that stress hormones released in response to emotional changes can affect the levels of enzymes.
Certainly, the levels of the estrogens themselves vary markedly among individuals. In a study of estriol, estrone, and estradiol at days 10-14 of the menstrual cycle in women with regular menstrual cycles, it was also found that estradiol levels were as low as 11-31 pg/ml (picograms per milliliter) in women with low levels but as high as 157-189 pg/ml in those with high levels. Since estradiol is currently considered a major hormonal contributor to breast cancer risk, this marked variation…. shows that the factors (as yet unidentified) that influence the hormone levels can have a substantial impact.
At this time, there is no direct evidence that emotions cause such a shift in estrogen metabolism that might lead to higher risk of cancers, such as breast cancer. But, there is no question that emotions can impact the physiological functions, and this model is just one example of how they might translate into a higher cancer risk that could be detected by a properly designed study.
A POSSIBLE MECHANISM INVOLVING SHORT-TERM EMOTIONAL STRESS!!!!
The Chinese physicians who comment about the role of emotions in cancer formation point to the fact: the internal viscera become weakened, thus increasing the opportunity for pathologies of all types, including cancer. Western research has already supported the idea that depression can impair immune system functions (perhaps indirectly, such as by repeatedly impairing a good night of sleep, with sleep contributing to maintenance of the immune system).
It has been shown that tumor-relevant lymphocyte subpopulations, such as natural killer cells (NK cells; these can directly attack cancer cells), have receptors for various neuropeptides, including those released during stress. This finding indicates how NK cell activity could be modulated by a person’s emotional responses. The level of NK cell activity has been found to be a reasonably good predictor of breast cancer outcome; further, a portion of the loss of this activity in cancer patients was shown to be correlated with psycho-social measures such as patient “adjustment” (avoiding showing distress at the cancer diagnosis/treatment), lack of social support, symptoms of fatigue/depression.
Along these lines, the immune system may regulate the activities of enzymes, such as aromatase, that converts estrogens to estradiol in breast tissue. Cytokine changes (as occur with infection and inflammation) have been observed in cases of major depression, and have been suggested to be a potential cause of depression. In fact, some anti-depressant drugs are tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors; this being one of the cytokines that causes considerable adverse effects in cancer patients and those with life-threatening infections, such as HIV. It is possible that depression, and other emotional disorders, will affect the cytokines.
In the book: Why We Get Sick, which is based on the premise that most of our body (and mental) functions have been determined by evolutionary factors, the author explains how a potentially helpful feeling (anxiety) can have harmful physiological effects:
Everyone must realize that anxiety can be useful. We know what happens to the berry picker who does not flee a grizzly bear, the fisherman who sails off alone into a winter storm, or the student who does not shift into high gear as a term-paper deadline approaches. In the face of threat, anxiety alters our thinking, behavior, and physiology in advantageous ways….Because anxiety can be useful, it might seem optimal to adjust the mechanism so that we are always anxious. This would be distressing, but natural selection cares only about our fitness, not our comfort. The reason we are sometimes calm is not because discomfort is maladaptive, but because anxiety uses extra calories, makes us less fit for many everyday activities, and damages tissues.
Why does stress damage tissues? Imagine a host of bodily responses that offer protection against danger. Those that are “inexpensive” and safe can be expressed continually, however, those that are “expensive” or dangerous cannot. Instead, they are bundled into an emergency kit that is opened only when the benefits of using the tools are likely to exceed the costs. Some components are kept sealed in the emergency kit precisely because they cause bodily damage. Thereby, the damage associated with chronic stress should be no cause for surprise….In fact, recent work has suggested that the “stress hormone” cortisol. May not defend against outside dangers at all, but instead may mainly protect the body from the effects of other parts of the stress response.
Just as Chinese therapeutic dogma holds that one can use a powerful remedy that may weaken the individual temporarily in order to gain an advantage over a disease, the body also can sacrifice some of its well-being, temporarily, to save itself. However, if the “emergency kit” is left open for an extended period of time, by living in a situation that the body and mind deems unsafe, then progressive damage to the tissues can occur. This damage may then cause or exacerbate chronic disease or a life-threatening event (e.g., stroke, heart attack, incurable cancer).
Indeed, it is possible that even a single period of intense stress lasting months, such as occurs with a divorce, death of a family member, loss of job, or other life-changing event, rather than decades of habitual emotional distress, might lead to serious damage to the tissues which could trigger the development of cancer. The stress hormones might themselves stimulate latent cancer cells into reproduction; thus hormones or their metabolites might transform a normal cell to a cancer cell; or the damage to the tissues may lead to failure of normal cancer-control mechanisms.
In this way, a diagnosis of cancer may be encountered a year or two after such an event (it takes that long for the cancer to develop enough to yield evident symptoms or a diagnosable lump). Such a correlation — between stressful events and subsequent cancer diagnosis (13) or recurrence of previously treated breast cancer (15)-has been supported by early studies that still require replication. If severe emotional stress (of the type that is likely to be mentioned during questioning) does sometimes give rise to cancer soon after the stress is experienced, this would certainly explain “why” the observation made by traditional practitioners: that emotions do play a part and are a cause of cancer. CreditGoesTo ~ ForThisBlog: http://www.itmonline.org/arts/cancemo.htm
How Shannon Knight Healed Breast cancer … Show Notes!!!!
-Her first breast cancer diagnosis [1:07]
-The treatment suggested by her doctors [3:08]
-How complications from surgery turned out to be a blessing in disguise [3:20]
-How multiple surgeries inhibited the healing process [5:05]…
-Therapies she chose instead of chemo [7:30]
-The connection between Vitamin D deficiency and cancer [8:37]
-How her cancer recurrence was misdiagnosed [9:00]
-How tumor markers can be unreliable [11:04]
-The importance of studying your medical records [11:53]
-Her second diagnosis (stage 4) [13:18]
-The damaging effects caused by radiation [15:41]
-Therapies she chose to heal stage 4 [20:09]
-How long it took her to get well [24:21]
-Her oncologist’s response to her clean pet scan [24:45]
-Traumatic events in her personal life that made her vulnerable to cancer [27:37]
-The importance of forgiveness [32:54]
-Her current projects: Angels For Shannon & Diagnosed TV [34:10]
-How she ended up in my living room [40:20]
-How survival statistics are skewed and misleading [42:50]
-The most powerful question a cancer patient can ask [44:30]
RiP. Holley R (Rothell) Kitchen … February 13, 1973 — January 12, 2016, ShineOnHolley