Meditn x Ca spread

 

• Research presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science suggests high stress may help cancer spread.
• The study was led by Dr. Kimberly Bussey of Midwestern University.
• Cancer patients were found to have persistently high levels of cortisol (“stress hormone”).
• Normally, cortisol rises and falls throughout the day — in some cancer patients it stays elevated.
• High cortisol made cancer cells in lab experiments:
  
• More resistant
• More mobile (able to spread)
• More stem-cell-like (more adaptable and harder to treat)
• 
  
• Cortisol exposure caused lasting changes in cancer cell gene expression.
• Early signs suggest cortisol may reduce the effectiveness of some cancer drugs.
• The experiments were conducted on cancer cells in a laboratory — not in patients.
• Chronic psychosocial stress may contribute to cancer progression and treatment response.
• Researchers suggest stress-reduction practices such as:
  
• Meditation
• Deep breathing
• Exercise
• Spending time in nature
• Good sleep habits
• 
  
• Morning and evening stress-reduction routines may be especially helpful.
• Meditation is not a cancer treatment, but may support overall wellbeing and possibly influence biological processes linked to cancer spread.