Stressful event(s) --contributing factor?

[dawbs]

The jury is out on this one. No evidence one way or another, except in rats. Researchers keep trying to prove or disprove a link, but the reality is that it's virtually impossible to control for, as everyone has stress of some sort in their life.
Vicki

[Joannie]

I DO believe stress can be a component of cancer. I was in the process of building a house, moved into a 800 sq. foot apt. for almost two years during building, with two small children. We were the builder on the house. Moved kids to a new school. Sister went through a difficult divorce, one in which we loved her husband, the grass was greener! She in turn got engaged two months after dating someone and married after 6 months. Brother is in a terrible marriage and since he was my builder, I heard about the crisis in their house on a daily basis. I carried way too much stress, trying to fix everyone's problems. Layed awake at night worrying about everyone but myself. Worrying about things that I had no control over. After my treatment was over, I sought out a counselor to help me deal with the aftermath of BC along with changing my lifestyle habits to better suit myself. He helped me to learn to live with my new life, as well as teach me the life skills of letting people vent about their issues, but to realize that they were their issues, not mine. The 6 months I spent in counseling with him was the best 6 months I ever spent on myself. I'm a different person after BC. I now make choices that suit myself and immediate family. I try very hard not to worry about things I have no control over. I can deal with traumatic situations (almost lost both brothers this summer to accidents, 3 days apart!), way better than I could before BC. I am able to say NO to volunteering my time for everything under the sun. Even though having BC was the most traumatic situation I've ever experienced, many positive life changing things came out of it for me. I will never carry the weight of the world on my shoulders ever again. I do believe stress was a factor for me, with regard to my immune system being compromised.

[StephN]

Some say that most of us have had the cancers we are dealing with for up to 5 years and maybe longer. This is an interesting question, as when does the cell group upgrade itself to "fast dividing - grade 3"?
This is my pathology at the time of the biopsy. If it was fast growing did it only take a year? Was it slow growing for 2 or 3 years and then change to more aggressive?
All I know is that the rate that my cancer was growing and spread right after treatment, it could not have been 5 years like that.

About the stress. For several years before 2000, I had a great deal of stress. Coming from all quarters - family, taking care of the grandma's and great aunts on both sides; hubby's business partner trying to shaft us in a power grab and more. Maybe, as someone mentioned, I internalized this, as we have to find a way to keep up with daily life and move forward.

My life is much calmer now that all those people and problems are gone. And believe me we do not go looking for trouble. Maybe this is why I am able to keep the cancer beat back and stay NED. I turn more of my energy inward for my own healing and peace of mind.

[MJo]

As I said in my other post, I had plenty of stress in the three years before diagnosis. But I was also feeding my prog/estr+ tumor daily with hormone replacement therapy. I shudder when I think about taking that pill every day for seven years until the day my mammo came back suspicious. Then I quit HRT cold. As for stress, I have lived with mild anxiety and depression since age 15. I have tried meditation, special diets, talk therapy, accupuncture, vitamins and supplements -- you name it. I now take Lexapro every day and occasional .25 dose of Xanax. Before BC I hated to take aspirin. Now I take the anti-anxiety meds. Maybe that will help me stay cancer free, if stress IS one of the causes.

[suzan w]

9 months before diagnosis lost house in Florida to Hurricane Charley...forced a move to WA (was looking to move anyway...just not so soon!) In retrospect, glad I had treatment in Seattle...not Florida...near family here!

[suzan w]

ps. also took HRT for 10 years prior to my diagnosis...also shudder to think of the damage done while trying to "do the right thing" according to my dr.

[lu ann]

Every day our lives are filled with stress. It is how we manage the stress that is of importance.

My mother was stressed out her entire life and was always on the edge of a nervous breakdown. She was dx. with BC about a year after her mother suffered a stroke.

The same year I was dx. I had a baby and my father died.

I heard that it takes about 9 years for a breast cancer cell to grow large enough for the patient to feel it upon examination.

Blessings from Lu Ann

[SandyBB]

Incredible stress with mother dying of cancer, being out of work, father seriously ill, etc. Horrible time for me, worse than the cancer treatment!!!!

[lu ann]

Looking back on some of the previous posts, I can see that the time prior to my origional dx. 09/26/1991, I was under a great deal of stress that I internalized.

My mom died, My dad remarried his brothers widow 6 weeks later, and I walked on eggshells not being able to express my grief, as to not make my new step mother and dad upset. This went on for exactly 9 years. The year of my dx. I gave birth to my youngest daughter(02/03/91), my dad was dx. with cancer, he and I had a heated discussion on the phone(Fathers Day) and he left town without resolution, before he died(08/03/91), and I was dx. with breast cancer(09/26/91).

I have been through alot of stress in my life, but I honestly believe it was the stress that I did not work out that did me in. Lets face it, if we live long enough we are going to endure both good and bad stress-births, sibling rivalry, school, dating, weddings, divorces, death, etc. etc.