Stress 'not linked' to breast cancer relapse

Women have longed feared a link with stress

Scientists have dispelled the myth that stress causes breast cancer to recur.

The news will come as a welcome relief to breast cancer sufferers, already stressed by their illness.

There had been fears that stressful life experiences might lead to recurrences.

The findings should come as a great relief to women with breast cancer

Professor Amanda Ramirez

In fact, the researchers admitted they were surprised to find that this was not the case.

Jill Graham, health psychologist, said the team from Cancer Research UK London Psychological Group and Guy's, King's and St Thomas's School of Medicine, studied over 200 women with breast cancer and quizzed them about their lives.

She said: "The results suggest that women with breast cancer need not fear that stressful experiences will precipitate the return of their disease.

Study

"We really were surprised that there was not a link. We did a study in the late 1980s where we found it was a risk, but we had some concerns about the methodology."

The women studied had suffered a variety of life traumas ranging from discovering their child had been sexually abused or involved in crime, to discovering their husband was being unfaithful or getting a divorce.

Researcher Professor Amanda Ramirez of Cancer Research UK's London Psychological group said the study on women under 60 should prove reassuring.

Earlier research had suggested a link

The women were quizzed about stressful events in their lives in the year before they were diagnosed with breast cancer and five years afterwards.

"The findings should come as a great relief to women with breast cancer," said Prof Ramirez.

"For many years women have believed that experiencing stress in life might cause their cancer to return and that avoiding undue stress is paramount.

"Our research means we can confidently reassure women that experiencing difficulties in life will not affect their chances of suffering a recurrence of the disease."

Relief

Professor Gordon McVie, director general of Cancer Research UK, welcomed the new study.

"This news should come as a real relief to women already bearing the burden of breast cancer," he said.

"Now they no longer fear that life's inevitable stresses and strains which are often increased by coping with cancer, will affect the chances of the disease returning."

The study was published in the British Medical Journal.