Dutch researchers have challenged the assumption that depression and anxiety increase cancer risk.
- Anxiety can lead to rapid heartbeat, sleep disturbances, excessive sweating and difficulty breathing.
- Depressive symptoms are often associated with anxiety.
- Dutch researchers recently assessed the impact of anxiety and depression on cancer incidence.
Faced with a danger or an episode of stress, the functioning of the body changes. It can cause rapid heartbeat, trouble sleeping, excessive sweating, and difficulty breathing. This natural physiological reaction is known as anxiety. It was, until now, often seen as a risk factor for cancer.
The role of anxiety and depression on cancer incidence
According to the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm)anxiety is frequently linked to depressive symptoms. “Several studies have shown that each of these two pathologies is predictive of the other and that their association increases the risk of chronicity (…) In the majority of cases, anxiety precedes depression, even if the reverse is sometimes found “noted the body.
In an analysis published in Cancer magazine, Dutch researchers are interested in the effects of anxiety and depression on the incidence of cancer. For the purposes of this work, they examined data from the international consortium Psychosocial Factors and Cancer Incidence, which comprises 18 prospective study groups covering more than 300,000 adults living in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Norway and Norway. Canada.
“Our results may also bring relief to many cancer patients”
The team from the University Medical Center of Groningen (Netherlands) observed no association between depression and/or anxiety with breast cancer, prostate cancer and colorectal cancer. According to study officials, these conditions were linked to a 6% increased risk of developing lung cancer and smoking-related cancers, but this risk was significantly reduced after adjusting for other cancer-associated risk factors. such as smoking, alcohol consumption and body mass index (BMI).
For the researchers, these results underlined the importance of carrying out prevention around smoking or excessive alcohol consumption, which increase the risk of cancer. “Our findings may also provide relief to many cancer patients who believe their diagnosis is attributed to prior anxiety or depression (…) However, further research is needed to understand exactly how depression, anxiety, behaviors health and lung cancer are linked”asserted Dr. Lonneke A. van Tuijl, lead author of the study.
