Depression and Anxiety Tied to Cancer Deaths

Genetic mutations cause cancer.
The question is : can psychological stressors, which can cause depression, anxiety and other ailments, contribute to cellular mutation?
We know genetic mutations cause cancer.

As a cancer survivor x 2, I can attest to what I was warned about - anxiety increases when treatment ends. More needs to be done to recognize and treat the emotional aftermath of cancer.

did anyone here vote for national health care independent of insurance companies and their constraints?

Having cancer triggers "feelings" of anxiety due to neurochemical communication inside the body: any disease which causes a threat to our life is going to cause reactions. There is an understandable psychological reason for being anxious after a diagnosis, but it also makes sense that the body, recognizing on a "gut" level that the system has a problem, is going to produce some signals the we pick up as dis-ease, before the disease is even identified.

I've been depressed and anxious most of my adult life. I guess I can now add terrified to the list.

Great.

I'm sorry your friend had to go through all of that. I appreciate you sharing this. Wow.

An alternate hypothesis is that depression and anxiety are themselves organic diseases which may manifest as cancer, among other diseases, such as cardiovascular disease; that is to say, the symptoms we call a "mental health disorder" may be the symptoms of an underlying medical condition.

The intimate interchange between the brain, the mind and the body continues to be renewed with each generation's greater understanding and more refined technology. Other comments focused on the immune connection between body and mind.

As some in the field are now net tested in the communication of cells to each other as tumors form, let's not forget that these cells also manufacture proteins that circulate throughout the body and brain, with effects far from the original tumor itself. Perhaps what Shakespeare called "humours" are now called "cytokines". From the Greek; "cyto" for cell and "kine" for protein may actually affect our mood, appetite, weight, pain or amount of fatigue.

So is the chicken first, or the egg? Do circulating cytokines change mood in pacreatic cancer, or is it the common knowledge that it's a hard cancer to control discourage patients, families, clinicians and researchers alike?

A good friend was diagnosed and under treatment for depression. His complained that his cognitive abilities seemed impaired. He expressed depression and anxiety about Trump and where our nation was heading. He was urged to undergo shock therapy and finally agreed but then committed suicide.

As New York State Law requires autopsy when a person commits suicide, as this is considered a 'self-homicide' and that triggers an inquest and the attendant investigation into causes, this friend underwent a full dissection and autopsy finding, which discovered that he had also been suffering from a pulmonary embolism that had been seriously restricting the oxygen reaching his brain, causing the confusion, cognitive deterioration, and likely worsening his depression as well as undercutting the efficacy of his medication.

The point is, that when a valid medical diagnosis such as advanced stage cancer, diabetes, renal impairment, bi-polar disorder, or depression is made, doctors and family must be cautious not to be blinded to the likelihood that other factor might pertain if their is a sudden change of condition for the worse. If our friend's embolism had been diagnosed and treated in time, he likely would have been saved, but the existence of an established diagnosis blinded his doctors and insurance authorization paths to discovering other problems. A full CAT Scan with contrast would have caught the culprit, but insurance would not authorize an unnecessary test.

How do we know what is cause and effect. For example, does the biology of the more aggressive cancer ( with shorter survival) promote or cause the behavioral changes now associated with a shorter survival in this study? The observational study needs now to look further into the biologic products of cancers. Unfortunately, our categorizations of cancers with extreme variations in survival statistics have not been based upon biologic activity but only on the simplified appearance under the microscope. Much more to do to understand these environmentally induced mutations.

Somehow, the "science" on this seems tricky. I would agree that being diagnosed with a terminal cancer could lead to depression which can in fact feed the cancer. But also being diagnosed with a cancer that has a low survival rate can also add to it. But the keys to depression seem to be around under the surface till a life event occurs. However, having been the primary caregiver for my late partner's terminal stage 4 metastatic pancreatic cancer, I can tell you HE never gave up or got depressed. It was me who got depressed knowing I would lose him and always had hope as he did that perhaps he would be successful in surviving.

CancerCare is acutely aware of the distress that accompanies a cancer diagnosis and for more than 70 years, has been providing no-cost psychosocial support to people affected by cancer. This includes caregivers and loved ones, whose distress can have significant impact on the quality of life of the people for whom they are caring.

This article should not suggest in its first sentence that there could be a causal relationship between depression/anxiety and cancer, as the study gives zero evidence that this is the case.

The most important question, the question that gives insight into the causal effect of depression on cancer mortality is, whether intervening on a patient's mental state, (e.g. providing say, rational emotive therapy for depression) will reduce the cancer mortality risk. If not, the association must be cautiously interpreted.

I think it unlikely that anyone will do a randomized study of depression therapy with an endpoint of cancer mortality.

However, severely depressed patients may also have reduced compliance with therapy, fewer support systems and less access to healthcare, which may explain the association.

This finding should not displace or distract from other, more fundamental causes of cancer.

There is no separate mind: it has not been ruled out that the cancers themselves may have contributed to depressive states quite possibly way before either was recognized as a problem. We have a single interactive system, not a bunch of independently functioning operating systems.

So, based on the numbers from this study, how many cancers is Donald Trump going to be responsible for?

This newly increased fear of cancer is really helping with my anxiety. Thanks NYT!

Although this study looked at anxiety and depression, other psychological/psychiatric ills can affect people similarly, including PTSD and bipolar disorder. Medications can affect the immune system, medication regimes may not be followed properly and multiple disorders can affect the efficacy of medications for all of them. What will forestall cancer I cannot say, but I know from treating such disorders that finding gratitude for whatever is good in one's life improves mood and outlook and may also improve the immune system.

When I thought I might have cancer and went to the medical industrial complex (in Palo Alto) for a consultation the reaction was dramatic: go, now, quickly, to this expert at Stanford Hospital for testing - you have to, you need it, you will feel better knowing, you might not live if you don't go, -

I walked out of the jaws of the fear machine and never looked back. This fear monger called me and asked why I hadn't gone. Never returned the call.

I know that if this had been almost anyone else they would have been at Stanford in a nanosecond. How you people deal with these people is beyond me. I researched online, designed my own protocol as if I had this cancer - and so, here I am. Of course, the reaction will be" You never had cancer." But let's use your own evidence based logic: you have no way of knowing or proving. Me either. But what I do have is peace of mind. Oncology is a very big cash cow (markup on chemo is huge) and a machine that sucks you in via fear. No thanks.

What I would find really interesting is a comparison between a similar group of patients in the US who have the added anxiety and depression resulting from not knowing whether or how they will be able to pay for their cancer treatments.

HA (The Ha is for this article, Depression and Anxiety Tied to Cancer Deaths). The absolute love of my life was the most positive, cheerful person I have ever met. He had a Mediterranean diet, was slim, walked every single day and... oops! He fell and oops! GBM Multiform. Yes, he died.
Yes, I totally understand (as he also understood), we are finite, and yes, his death took part of my life with him, but I keep having a Mediterranean diet and being slim and walking 7 miles a day. Why? Because I/we had together a great quality of life and we enjoyed our life for 54 years. And, cancer generally comes from nowhere for happy or depressed people. That's that. End of my rambling.

Anxiety and depression suppress the immune system so it stands to reason that, over time, cancer would have the perfect host in which to grow.

I don't see the point of publishing an article like this. Although there were many people interviewed, self- reported studies have severe limitations. There are too many variables. The author admits this, and indicates that further studies are needed. The takeaway from this is that you are responsible if you get cancer, and at some point you had the power to prevent it by "getting happy."

So calm down, medicate, do yoga and stop the anxiety. As for depression I have always felt due to pressures Americans face with work and family pressures, one should clear their head with a good counselor. People are quick to take a pill instead of finding out the root of their problems. I think a lot of people do (or sometimes do) suffer from both disorder so it is more common. And cancer is the second killer after cardiac so I am not sure if I believe this information. I know people who were not depressed or anxious who have died from various cancers and their is also the heredity gene.

And how is a person in this country at this time supposed to avoid being depressed and anxious?

Same old, blame the patient for being anxious. Try it.

1 Have a series of more invasive tests, honing in on your pancreatic area.
2.Then get the diagnosis (5% survival rate all said). The medical people looking rather grim.
3.Then an operation called a whipple messes up your body for quite a few months. Eating becomes a big deal'
4.See oncologists. two to four hour waits. All the people in the waiting room trying not to look anxious.

Whatever you do don't bother anybody by looking anxious. I tried this goofy fake ingratiating act on how I did all these great things, in case the medical people wrote me off prematurely. Dressed up for appointments. Maybe you guys should let up on the patients. It could be you next.

Not surprised by this answer. Intuitively by observation, many years ago, I made the connection between an anxious emotional makeup and becoming ill.

January 28, 2017: Nobel Laureate Gerald M. Edelman (author: Bright Air / Brilliant Fire) believed that brain (which registers one's psychological-social-&-cultural experience) is in continuous interaction with the immune system. So, it follows, as your article-title suggests: Depression and anxiety are, indeed, linked to cancer. In our culture, we immediately tend to ascribe blame to the patient. All of us struggle with some form of depression or anxiety in life. And often, the reasons are not as conscious as we think. So, such connections (as made in your article) do not "blame the victim." In fact, they offer an avenue for more research---with the intent of prevention of the physiological diseases that can arise from psychological un-ease.

There are always exceptions. My mom ,the quintessential anxiety riddeled neurotic women ; and she died of CHF. My sister on the other hand kept her weight under control, ate healthy, exercised daily; and if she was anxious she kept it will hidden; and she died of breast cancer. Go figure!

The connection of anxiety (emotional stress) to somatic illness has been discussed for decades. There are many papers on the subject and many theories some with early data to support them. You can't separate the brain from the rest of the body and consequently you cannot separate interpersonal relationships from impacting the body.

My mother was clinically depressed for most of my childhood as well as obese from her 40s to when she died of breast cancer @ 72 years. Ever since her death, I have believed there might be a connection between her depression, obesity and her death. In the 1970's. there was very little help for those with severe depression, especially if one lived in a small town.

Always thought with my years of debilitating depression that trying to exercise, especially a walk 5x week, might help. Interesting that colorectal cancer ranks high. Constipation? Becoming overweight from bad eating associated with it, and thus, carrying more waste around in the intestines?

To me, it's all about Oliver Hardy saying to Stan Laurel: Where there's a will, there's a way. We'll take the piano thru the upstairs window and place it in the living room. You get the block and tackle. Whether it's watching the Music Box before retiring or something else, it's better than focusing on this brilliant comic dying tragically at 65. He lost his speech for a year. Fingers are crossed that this will happen to an even bigger clown.

If the truth is actually told, depression can kill one quicker than any physical malady one may stumble upon, except of course gunshot or severe knife wounds. This is not an 'alternate fact' but rather a real fact. Mental conditions need to be properly addressed, much like lonliness, which also can be fatal. My advice, put down those stupid smart phones, get to know one another and seek psychiatric care to sort out whatever your hang-ups are.

"The study, in BMJ, is observational so cannot determine cause and effect, and it depended in part on self-reports. "

That is two counts against it already -- worse yet, the study tentatively assumes a causal relationship with absolutely no plausible biological mechanism in sight.

This approach illustrates what is wrong with these types of studies -- all of them -- they are "data dredges" -- they dig through masses of vaguely related data from large population health studies (designed for other purposes) and pick a SINGLE item (in this case "self reported psychological distress scores ") and test it against some medical boogeyman (in this case "cancers"). They even managed to find a "dose response effect".

If this were a medical device application, the FDA would throw it back in their faces as it lacks any biological plausible mechanism. In other words, they have just "made up" a causal relationship between "psychological distress scores" and cancer.

Now, had they said something like "people that are psychologically distressed should therefore undergo careful, more detailed cancer screenings" it might make senbse -- they could have claimed that sub-clinical cancers can have early psychological effects ... that would at least be possible. This way around is very close to just plain wacky.

When someone we know dies, the first thing we think about is why we won't die the same way. He smoked. He drove recklessly. He didn't exercise. He didn't eat kale. He was prone to stress. He got depressed. I don't have that characteristic, so I won't die of what he died of. I'm immortal. If you aren't, it's your own fault.

Jeez. Just finished reading "Why Succeeding Against the Odds Can Make You Sick" - and now this. Against the backdrop of last week's cloud-bearing Inauguration, no less. Am I looking at a NY Times health article on a LED screen, or am I looking into a crystal ball? Is there a difference?

Many people just give up. After years of frustration, denial and hopelessness, the immune system is probably shot. " Attitude " isn't everything, but sometimes it's the only thing. I feel your pain.

I can take a guess about causation purely from personal experience:

1) Anxiety and depression wreck havoc on your digestive system; digestive disorders are highly comorbid with mental illness. Chronic digestive issues probably don't help you easily recognize when a secondary issue, like colorectal cancer, is making your situation worse, which means you don't get diagnosed and treated as quickly.

2) Even once diagnosed, low motivation, stress, and feelings of helplessness will make it more difficult for you to be consistent with the treatment regime; you might even sabotage it unconsciously.