Work stress and risk of cancer

[rhondalea]

And the verdict is: does not increase risk.

Link to abstract (and free downloadable PDF):

http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f165

Abstract
Objective To investigate whether work related stress, measured and defined as job strain, is associated with the overall risk of cancer and the risk of colorectal, lung, breast, or prostate cancers.

Design Meta-analysis of pooled prospective individual participant data from 12 European cohort studies including 116 056 men and women aged 17-70 who were free from cancer at study baseline and were followed-up for a median of 12 years. Work stress was measured and defined as job strain, which was self reported at baseline. Incident cancers (all n=5765, colorectal cancer n=522, lung cancer n=374, breast cancer n=1010, prostate cancer n=865) were ascertained from cancer, hospital admission, and death registers. Data were analysed in each study with Cox regression and the study specific estimates pooled in meta-analyses. Models were adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic position, body mass index (BMI), smoking, and alcohol intake

Results A harmonised measure of work stress, high job strain, was not associated with overall risk of cancer (hazard ratio 0.97, 95% confidence interval 0.90 to 1.04) in the multivariable adjusted analyses. Similarly, no association was observed between job strain and the risk of colorectal (1.16, 0.90 to 1.48), lung (1.17, 0.88 to 1.54), breast (0.97, 0.82 to 1.14), or prostate (0.86, 0.68 to 1.09) cancers. There was no clear evidence for an association between the categories of job strain and the risk of cancer.

Conclusions These findings suggest that work related stress, measured and defined as job strain, at baseline is unlikely to be an important risk factor for colorectal, lung, breast, or prostate cancers.

[StephN]

Perhaps when job strain is added to other high stressors in a person's life, it is the straw that breaks the camel's back and can be a major contributing factor.

Does anyone NOT have other stresses in life besides job strain?

This is an awfully narrow study.

[IrvineFriend]

I find work takes my troubles off the cancer worries. So all in all even though my job is stressful and it's breakfast, lunch & dinner, I feel better going in and dealing with all the issues.

[rhondalea]

IMO, this week's study is next week's debunked theory. I know that isn't always true, but it happens often enough that I want to beat my head against the wall. (Just look at the CYPD26 study for tamoxifen patients as an example. My onc tried to pacify me with one out of about 16--the one that "proved" her point that I shouldn't worry about my intermediate metabolizer status--but very recently, she has been debunked. Thoroughly. At least until the next study.)

I think stress hormones have the ability to do the same bad things that external toxins do. So it's probably not stress so much as how an individual responds to stress. But what's nice about studies like this is that they can help put an end to idiotic suggestions--you know, the ones that blame the victim.

To me, cancer is a genetic issue, so what starts it for one of us will not start it for the rest of us. I've been pretty sure all along that mine was triggered by my thyroid, and recently, I've needed far less thyroid replacement hormone than I did when my cancer was growing. But that's probably just one piece of it, even if it's where I put the blame.

I keep hoping for faster advances in genetic and epigentic medicine, and it seems as if the scientific community is trying to oblige, but there's just so much data to sift through--there are millions of snps on our genes, and figuring out which ones do what is a tedious process.

But for anyone who has an irritating onc (or friend) who suggests "reducing stress," this makes a nice study to shut him/her/it up with.

[Jackie07]

The only possible link I could think of is 'delayed diagnosis' due to work stress.

Still, other stressors need to be taken into consideration. I was thinking about my high school and college teammate who had passed away a year ago (January 17th, 2012). Her (cervical) cancer had escaped radar until it had turned stage IV bacause her Mother had been undergoing cancer treatment a year (2?) prior and she had missed her annual PAP for a couple of years. She moved out of the apartment which she had shared with her Mother and sister, but her health condition did not improve. After about 9 months, she finally sought medical help and it was too late ...

She's a devoted biology professor and her dedication had earned her the prestiged 'Professor of the Year' award by the university just three years before her passing ...

[sdstarfish]

Work stress is a really broad term, though, wouldn't you agree? So many possible causes...Trouble with co-workers could be one - fatigue could be another. Swing shift has lack of proper sleep. So to me, it really depends on which type of work-related stress, and whether it is addressed productively or in a non-healthy manner.