Can Stress Cause Cancer?

Abstract

Stress is how people react when they feel under pressure or threatened. Stress typically occurs when people are in a situation that they do not feel they can manage or control. Today, more than ever, people of all ages and backgrounds experience stress which can have many negative effects on the body. Stress’ effect on the body is harmful no matter what form it is in. However, the longer that stress is present in the body, the more harmful it becomes. Stress slowly weakens the immune system and the rest of the body’s systems in different ways making the body more susceptible to certain diseases. This paper uses research done on stress’ affect on the body and the health conditions people are more prone to develop if they are stressed, to identify if stress can cause someone to develop cancer. Along with this, the paper also uses research to describe the different effects the two different forms of stress have on the body and how chronic or long-term stress affects the body systems at a larger scale in comparison to acute or short-term stress. Using this paper one can conclude that stress alone cannot directly cause a person to develop cancer, however, stress weakens the immune system and negatively affects the body making a person more prone to developing cancer. The aim of this paper is to identify how stress’ affect on the body can lead to the development of cancer and cause cancer to spread in those with cancer.