Dr. Samadi Warns That Stress Can Cause Cancer

Dr. David Samadi recently published an article regarding how prevalent stress is in American communities, and the dangers that such levels of stress can pose to them.

His article quotes statistics from Gallup polling data, stating that 80% of Americans claim to encounter stress, with 79% of Americans feeling stress daily. These feelings of stress can lead to many diseases such as obesity, heart disease, depression, gastrointestinal problems, and cancer. The last possibility is due to stress suppressing the immune system over a long period of time, making it difficult to defend against developing cancers.

This is becoming a larger concern as the average stress level for Americans has been steadily increasing over the past decades. According to the American Psychological Association, stress carries the largest impact in the age group of 18-33 years old, with women on average feeling a higher increase in stress over the years. Around two in three adults stress over health insurance, and three in ten adults worry about the ability to save up and pay for retirement.

While the hormone cortisol, released during stress, can keep a person safe when they are in immediate danger, holding on to this feeling with continuous production of the hormone is unhealthy. Cortisol is often released when people respond to stimuli either physically or emotionally.

Physical stress comes from exercise or jobs involving hard labor, such as construction. Normally, an adequate, controlled amount can help a person build muscle over time and become stronger. However, too much can cause injuries, such as pulling a muscle after overreaching in a workout.

Emotional, or mental, stress, however, is the more dangerous type of the two. It negatively hurts a person’s health more than physical stress does, and is much harder to control. With physical stress, immediate measures could be taken to rectify the situation, such as to simply stop moving or ending the workout. However, it is difficult to put a sudden hold on anxious, depressing, or negative feelings.

In addition, mental stress can manifest multiple physical symptoms after a prolonged period of time when the body grows tired of the constant flow of cortisol that puts them in a ‘fight or flight’ state of mind. It is during this time that cancer and other diseases may occur. In addition to the previously stated dangers, it also contributes to coronary heart disease, accidental injuries, respiratory disorders, cirrhosis of the liver, and, in the worst cases, suicide.

There are many studies that identify a link between stress and cancer. The Finnish Cancer Organization reported on varying life events, and their psychological impact, having a correlation with increased breast cancer risk. Notably, many people in the study who had undergone trauma were later diagnosed with cancer within the following 5-7 years. The American Psychological Association has also linked cancerous tumor development with stress, reporting that patients with higher stress levels had produced a lower amount of NK, a type of white blood cell. As this type of cell is suppressed, it cannot defend against developing abnormal cells that could one day turn into cancer in the liver, kidney, colorectal region, and breast. Finally, a study from the New York State University at Stony Brook showed a strong positive correlation between high-stress levels in men and risk for prostate cancer. The study found that high-stress levels can make men three times as likely to develop this kind of cancer.

Of course, stress of any sort can be managed. When combating the dangers of mental stress, possible healthy solutions can include meditation, exercise, massages, therapy, or sleep. Other Americans find that listening to music or praying can be helpful to them. Even implementing measures as small as increasing sleep by a few hours could be enough to save a person’s life. Those looking for more information may contact Dr. David B. Samadi.

Dr. Samadi is a certified urologic oncologist with training in laparoscopic surgery, and expertise in robotic prostate surgery at the Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. He has overseen over seven thousand successful robotic prostate surgeries, and almost 90% of his patients became cancer free following the robotic prostatectomy. He has received multiple awards, including the Best Regional Hospital in New York, Patient’s Choice Award, America’s Top Doctors For Cancer, Most Compassionate Doctor, and many more. He has also been featured on Forbes, Good Morning America, Fox News, and other shows.