The Role of Psychologic Stress in Cancer Initiation: Clinical Relevance and Potential Molecular Mechanisms
Marta Falcinelli, Premal H. Thaker, Susan K. Lutgendorf, Suzanne D. Conzen, Renée L. Flaherty, Melanie S. Flint
Abstract
The hypothesis that the physiologic response to psychologic stress influences the initiation of cancer is highly controversial. The link between initiating stressors, the psychologic stress response, and disease is plausible, considering that the stress response is associated with defined physiologic outcomes and molecular mechanisms. In light of this, we review the clinical relevance of psychologic stress on the risk of cancer, and we propose potential molecular pathways that may link the stress response to early stages of malignant cell transformation.
Topics & Concepts
Clinical significanceCancerMedicineDiseaseStress (linguistics)Relevance (law)BioinformaticsFight-or-flight responsePsychological stressOncologyCellMechanism (biology)Malignant diseaseInternal medicineNeuroscienceCancer, Stress, Anesthesia, and Immune ResponseStress Responses and CortisolHeat shock proteins research