Patients often wonder if a stressful event in their life led to their breast cancer diagnosis. This is a question oncologists are asked every day. While stress is not good for any of us and it does impact our immune systems, there is no proof that stress is a cause of breast cancer.
There are plenty of people that lead very healthy lives, have great diets, remove themselves from the stress and pollution of big cities, meditate every day, and still get diagnosed with breast cancer. Though stress can certainly contribute to how patients deal with their diagnosis, there is no evidence supporting the idea that it could actually cause the diagnosis.
Read MoreIf a patient is very stressed out and very anxious, Dr. Elizabeth Comen recommends seeking help to manage that stress because it could affect treatment moving forward.
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