Cancer Progression And Survival: A Biobehavioral Approach.

Another interesting part of this book, talks about the decreased immune response during times of stress. Hans Selye, one of the godfathers of stress physiology, discovered the first evidence of stress-induced immunosuppression back in the 1930s. Selye learned that the same glucocorticoids that are responsible for sympathetic response, was also a large contributor in immune system suppression. Glucocorticoids stop the formation of lymphocytes as well as inhibit the release of interleukins and interferons which make already circulating lymphocytes less responsive to infections. Sapolsky hypothesized why evolution would create this process from happening. He wanted to know why

In an acute stressor, the immune system is heightened. But is suppressed in a chronic stressor. In this situation the cortisol levels rise, and weaken the immune system. This weaken system can make the human body more susceptible to serious disease, infections

Background: Cancer is one among the life threatening diseases in present days it has biological, psychological and sociological impact on individual’s life. People living with this deadly disease have numerous psychological abnormalities like stress, depression and anxiety. The present study aimed to investigate the levels of anxiety and depression among cancer and non cancer patients. Methods: 80 patients were randomly selected among them 40 were cancer patients and 40 were non cancer patients. The Sinha’s Anxiety scale and Depression scale constructed by Karim & Tiwari was used to measure the anxiety and Depression among patients. For statistical analysis independent sample t-Test was applied. Findings: The results show significant differences between the mean scores of cancer and non cancer patients in respect to anxiety and depression. Conclusion: On the basis of our results we may concluded that cancer patients have higher levels of anxiety and depression than non cancerous patients.

This woman life was upside down at the moment she knows she suffers from bronchogenic carcinoma. This type of event lead to severe physical and psychological stressful responses, and coping mechanisms are unique for each individual. Stress and negative emotions are associated with the production of increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines, possible link between stress, immune functions, and diseases (Huether & McCance, 2012, p.215). She is suffering from depression with emotional and behavioral changes; she needs to develop positive coping mechanism to enhance the recuperation process. Stress and depression affect immune cell functions (natural killer, T cell, and B cell functions), increasing the risk for immunologic deficits, and complications

Based on Cancer Connect.com, a website on Mind-Body Interventions Complementary Alternative Medicine categories has stated that one research has published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 2003 laughter could be a key factor in helping to boost the immune system which may reduce stress and increase natural killer cell levels, a type of white blood cell that attacks cancer cells.

Today, many psychologists feel that psychological therapy can give cancer patients’ a longer life. The first to take this stance was Psychiatrist David Spiegel M.D., of Stanford University School of Medicine, in a 1989 study Spiegel gathered patients once a week to discuss there feelings about the cancer and here they received support from other cancer sufferers. “When Spiegel followed up a decade later, he discovered that patients who had participated in the sessions had survived an average of 18 months longer than those in the control group” (Clay,2000). It is felt that if you can tap into a patients mind and help them deal with the cancer by dealing in the mental aspect of it that it will be

The design of this study is correlational. The researchers used a variety of tests and interviews to measure how optimism effects stress on women who were in the early stages of breast cancer. They wanted to see if being high in optimism would result in them being better at coping with their illness than someone who is low in optimism.

Cancer survivors are less likely to form families than the norm. When compared to controls with steady relationships, affected individuals had a 20% lower likelihood of being in a relationship with another individual (Boman et al. 2004). In many cases, individuals affected by cancer choose to live with their parents. Lower age diagnosis and poor experience coping with the illness are directly linked to a survivor’s choice of habitation with parents (Boman et al. 2004). Additionally survivors who choose to marry are less likely to have biological children than the controls.

that a person has cancer could very well put them in a depressed state. Another mental hazard

- Fact/evidence to support reason #2: Social and emotional issues can come up during or after treatment for cancer.

Cancer has one of the biggest effects on the patients mental health but also the patients loved ones and friends. It is one of the hardest things to get a grip on when the doctor tells someone that they have cancer and a fifty-fifty chance of making it. "The disease can bring many changes-in what people do and how they look, in how they feel and what they value" (Dakota 4). It makes people look at the world and their lives in a different way, valuing now what they took for granted and seeing the bigger picture in every scenario. It is something that no one can actually brace, even after the doctor tells them. Through it all though, the person must remain strong and optimistic because the cancer can affect the person's moods and in return affect the outcome of the person and the chances of their making it

Aims ---- The aim of this experiment was to determine the effects of stress on the immune system. This was determined by analysing how quickly a person’s wound healed. It naturally is clearly difficult to create stress within a group of participants to examine how stress does affect your immune system.

Chronic stress can also interfere with the body’s immune system directly through hormonal changes. Glucocorticoids-a hormone

While the completion of treatment is excitedly anticipated, many cancer survivors would still be disturbed by the emotional and physical tribulation of their breast cancer trajectory (Surbone & Peccatori, 2006). This is because, the impact of cancer remains long even after treatment ended. Besides the common issues that accompany any cancer diagnosis, breast cancer survivors also have to deal with exclusive concerns such as decreased sexual function, relationship issues, fears about genetic inheritability of cancer and complications from this disease such as lymphedema (Hodgkinson, Butow, Fuchs, et al., 2007). Therefore, the completion of treatment does not equate to lesser need for health care. Long term health issues related to breast cancer survivors have thus emerged as a public health concern.

      Stress can cause many things that affect a healthy body.  Stress causes quick yet shallow breathing in which case, the body's cells are being deprived of oxygen.  Stress will increase cholesterol levels and can also cause indigestion, heartburn, a decreased sex drive, and also arteriosclerosis (the hardening of the arteries).  While these symptoms may seem minimal, stress can decrease the activity of white blood cells.  Since the white blood cells fight off sicknesses and diseases, the immune system is affected by stress and can make the body more susceptible to colds, viruses, flues, and diseases (Morrison 2).