Does Depression Cause Cancer - Essay Example

Does Depression Cause Cancer? While the link between depression and cancer have been the subject of interest to various researchers for some time now, different research have been carried to identify the link that exist between depression and this deadly disease that is causing massive death in the world today (Ayers,2007). To get valid limelight on the link between depression and cancer, many researchers have carried out different research and have been able to come up with vivid studies explaining their findings. In one of crucial study about the revelation of how depression links to cancer, researcher from Brigham and women hospitals, together with the Harvard school of public health carried out a study which was very successful (Ayers, 2007). The team carried their research based on almost 82,000 women who were initially cancer free. With their research they classified these women in four categories. In these groups, 8% of women were classified to have high levels of depressive symptoms (Gordon, 2010). After four years of study, 400 women were found to have infected with colorectal cancer, while 966, women were found to have colorectal adenomas, growths that are believed can become cancerous. After carefully analyzing the results, the team found out those women who had highest levels of depression symptoms had a higher greater risk of developing colorectal cancer than those women who had lowest depressive symptoms (Gordon, 2010). This study clearly indicated that the more depression a woman experiences, the higher the risk they have of developing colorectal cancer. In another case study carried out by National Institute of Aging found out a crucial link between chronic depression and cancer amongst older patients (Ayers, 2007). The researchers found out that when a person become continuously stressed for a period of six years and above, then they are at a higher chance of contacting cancer, especially the older patients (Gordon, 2010). They carried a study involving over 4,800 women and men in Lowa, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Though the researcher were cautious to drawing conclusions that depression directly caused cancer, the results showed that those who were depressed had a 88% higher chance of getting cancer than the other patients who had no depressive symptoms. In their research they realized that depression hinders immune functioning by hindering release of lymphocytes and other essential natural cancer killing cells (Ayers, 2007). Their study also indicates that depression can cause increased release of adrenal corticosteroids, which hugely weakens the immune system in an individual thus exposing him to chances of getting diseases like cancer. In their conclusion however, they recognized that most cancer patients are not depressed thus refuted the claims that link depressions to be the direct cause of cancer. Another crucial study carried out a team from the National Cancer Institute showed that people who experiences high levels of psychological stress over a long period may develop some health problems. In their research, they found out that people who mainly experiences intense and long term chronic stress may develop fertility problems, urinary problems, and weakened immune system.Hoever, though they found out that depression can cause a number of physical health problems, they were not able to come up with a concrete evidence to show that the increased depression in an individual increased their chances to get cancer (Kissane, Maj & Sartorius, 2011). The only evidence solution they were able to come up with is that there is no direct link between depression and cancer infection. They realized that the apparent link between depression and cancer could come up in several ways. For instance, in the study they found out that people under depression may engage in certain irresponsible behaviors like smoking, misuse of alcohol and even overeating, incidences that can increase their risk chances of getting cancer. A lot of research has also been carried on over trying to link pancreatic cancer with depression. A case study released by ANANDBLISS indicated that depression preceded most of the cancer cases that were reported during his research. This caused him to carry an extensive research which revealed that depression is the main positive precursor to pancreatic cancer (Ayers, 2007). He argues that, if an individual is simultaneously depressed, with other evidence factors like loss of hunger and a very severe back pain, then that individual has high chances of having pancreatic cancer. In his research, over 85% cases he studied, he found out that the cause of pancreatic cancer is depressed life style full of grief and sorrow. In his research, he found out that unlike other cancer patients, many patients with pancreatic cancer were depressed. He says that many patients suffer from severe kind of depression before they are diagnosed by pancreatic cancer (Ayers, 2007). To him this is clear evidence that though depression is not the sole cause of pancreatic cancer, it plays a greater role to the spread of this deadly disease. Lastly, according to the Explore Medindia study research, their research team has found out that too much tension and depression in individual daily life do not lead to cancer (Kissane, Maj & Sartorius, 2011). A discovery which they say contradicts the popular myth that daily stress causes cancer. In their study, they argue that many people believe that if stress can cause headache, then its definite that connected emotions such as anger, depression and aggression causes cancer. This is a claim they are highly disputing, and they say that such a believe is a very dangerous myth. They argue that such assumption that depression automatically leads to development of cancerous tissues and tumor in individual’s body is a very dangerous myth and has no scientific proof. Though they admit to the fact that some patients who undergo through traumatic events in their life time may have higher chances of getting cancer, their researcher Martin Ledwick, who is the head of information nurse at cancer research in United Kingdom, asserts that there is no clear evidence that links cancer to stress (Kissane, Maj & Sartorius, 2011). The group argues that through the several studies they have carried concerning stress and cancer development, there has no result to show that stress directly causes cancer. So with all this conflicting results of various research done by various teams, it is true that depression though depression plays a role in the development of cancer, there is a lot of work to be done by research teams to clearly define the actual role played by depression on the development of cancer in human bodies. Reference Ayers, S. (2007). Cambridge handbook of psychology, health and medicine. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Gordon, B. L. (2010). Breast cancer recurrence and advanced disease: Comprehensive expert guidance. Durham [NC: Duke University Press. Kissane, D. W., Maj, M., & Sartorius, N. (2011). Depression and cancer. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley. Read More