Stress Impacts Prostate Cancer Treatment : Easy Health Options?

If you have prostate cancer and are undergoing treatment, you are understandably experiencing stress and anxiety. There is some good news, however, concerning stress and prostate cancer: If you take steps to manage the stress in your life, you might improve the effectiveness of your prostate cancer treatment.

According to researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, emotional stress not only has an impact on treatment of prostate cancer, but also may speed up the development of the disease. At least that?s what they found when evaluating the impact of stress on prostate cancer in mice. ^[1]

How The Stress Study Worked

Two different mouse models were used to explore the effects of emotional stress on prostate cancer. One group of mice was administered human prostate cancer cells and then given a drug currently in trials for treatment of prostate cancer.

When the mice were exposed to a stressful environment (immobilization), the drug was not effective in killing the cancer cells. However, when the mice were exposed to a peaceful environment, the drug inhibited the growth of prostate cancer tumors.

The second group of mice was genetically modified to develop prostate cancer. When the mice were stressed, again with immobilization, the prostate tumors grew. When the researchers gave the mice a prostate cancer drug called bicalutamide (a type of hormone therapy for prostate cancer), the tumors decreased in size. However, when the mice were exposed to stress while taking the drug, the prostate cancer did not respond well to bicalutamide.

The underlying reason for the increase in prostate cancer growth under stress has to do with a hormone called adrenaline (epinephrine). Stress boosts adrenaline levels, and the hormone causes the eventual breakdown of a process called apoptosis, or cell death. When treating prostate cancer, one goal is to increase or promote apoptosis. Stress gets in the way of this process and, thus, can contribute to the growth of prostate cancer.

The scientists also discovered that when they gave a beta-blocker drug to mice in both groups, stress did not cause the prostate cancer to grow. That?s because beta blockers can stop adrenaline from inhibiting cell death. George Kulik, Ph.D., who led the study, said: ?Providing beta-blockers to prostate cancer patients who had increased epinephrine levels could improve the effectiveness of anticancer therapies.?

How To Reduce Stress

In addition to taking beta blockers, men who have prostate cancer can take other steps to reduce stress. Stress management for prostate cancer can include techniques such as tai chi, yoga, meditation, breathing therapy and biofeedback, all of which have demonstrated an ability to lower stress levels.

In a small study conducted at the University of California, San Diego, investigators examined the impact of a stress reduction effort called mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) along with a plant-based, low-fat, high-fiber diet in men who had undergone prostatectomy for prostate cancer. MBSR consists of a relaxation technique, gentle yoga and meditation.

The results of the four-month program provided evidence that the diet along with stress reduction ?may slow the rate of tumor progression in cases of biochemically recurrent prostate cancer.? ^[2]

Stress can have a significant effect not only on prostate health and overall health, but the progression of prostate cancer and its treatment as well. Daily attention to stress management is important for all men, but especially for those who are facing the challenge of prostate cancer and prostate cancer treatment.

See prostate.net for more information on prostate health and prostate cancer.

Sources

[1] ?Behavioral stress accelerates prostate cancer development in mice.? http://www.jci.org/articles/view/63324

[2] ?Can diet in conjunction with stress reduction affect the rate of increase in prostate specific antigen after biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer?? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11696736

Source: http://easyhealthoptions.com/cancer/stress-impacts-prostate-cancer-treatment/

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