Stress and Cancer

 

 I enjoyed this article from Stanford Medicine article regarding stress and cancer:

 "In recent times, there has been a substantial shift in health care toward recognition of the wisdom of Plato’s creed, namely, that the mental and physical are not separate, isolated, and unrelated, but are instead vitally linked elements of a total person. Health is becoming increasingly recognized as a balance of many parts—physical and environmental factors, emotional and psychological states, nutritional habits, and exercise patterns. As part of that balance, the role of stress is well established as the cause of a broad range of disorders."

 "The role of stress in cancer is unclear. What is important for patients is that the reduction of stress may very well improve chances for recovery, improve quality of life, and provide an opportunity for greater participation in total treatment."

"Some researchers have attempted to clarify to what degree stressful life events are related to sickness. After long research, Drs. Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe developed a scale based on forty-three common stressful experiences, in the order they were found to be related to illness. By checking the items that have occurred in the last year, you will arrive at a total score that indicates your supposed level of vulnerability to illness.

This scale reflects that change, whether positive or negative, tests our ability to adapt. The higher the score, the higher the probability that a person will become sick. High scores (above 300) do not necessarily mean a person will get sick, only that the risk is greater. For instance, in one study using this scale, the 30 percent with the highest scores had 90 percent more illnesses than the 30 percent with the lowest scores. In another study, 49 percent of the people in the high-risk group (scores above 300) became ill; 25 percent of the medium-risk group (200–299) became ill; but only 9 percent of the low-risk group (150–199) became ill."

 Here is the scale:

  Reducing stress can be an important part of your cancer treatment plan and can have important implications for both your mind and body.