Skin Cancer and Stress

Skin Cancer and Stress are related with each other i.e., stress levels in the humans can sometimes causes skin cancer. While most people know that heavy exposure to the sun’s harmful UV rays are largely responsible for skin cancer, a new study has shown that individuals with high levels of stress may be more vulnerable to the terrible disease.

The study was conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the results showed a connection between a high stress level and an accelerated risk for the disease. The study was published in the December issue of the scholarly journal known as the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

A Study on Skin Cancer and Stress

The study was conducted using lab rats, some of which were exposed to highly stressful conditions. The rats that were to be stressed were exposed to fox urine, which is the smell-equivalent of danger to the instincts of the rats, causing them to be scared and stressed out. All of the rats were exposed to UV light, and scientists were shocked to find that skin cancers in the high-stress rats developed at a rate that was nearly twice as fast as the control rats.

The researchers conjectured that if the same results of the experiment applied to humans, it may be a good idea for skin cancer patients to indulge in stress-relieving activities such as yoga or meditation. If the study’s findings were correct, these stress-relieving activities could possibly slow the growth rate of the cancer.

The scientists who conducted the experiment hypothesized that the results occurred like they did due to the fact that high stress levels can depress the immune system. When the immune system of the human body isn’t functioning properly, it may not be able to fend off rogue cells as well, such as those found in a skin cancer tumor. To that end, it is important to keep yourself as stress-free as you can, if only to help your body to function properly. As a matter of fact, there are two types of stress: acute stress and chronic stress.

Chronic and Acute Stress

Chronic stress is denoted by long-term fear and anxiety, and this is the type of stress that the mice in the study were exposed to. Acute stress, however, has been found to have an opposite effect on the body. Acute stress is represented by short periods of intense stress, such as the rush that one receives when they go on a rollercoaster.

hat’s of some importance to consider when talking about stress levels is the diet that many Americans follow. Stress can be caused by certain factors in the diet, and fast food, white flour, and many other common staples of the industrialized diet may add stress to our bodies without us even realizing it. To help curb the effects of stress, be sure to get plenty of exercise and eat a healthy diet. Also, to keep your skin cancer risk at a minimum, be sure to use sunscreen when doing any outdoor activity in the sun. Be sure to choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen which helps to provide protection against both UVA and UVB rays.