Stress and Cancer......evidence!

The causal suspects: smoking,drinking, carrying extra kilos, an unlucky twist in DNA, poor diet, toxins, nutrient deficiencies, cosmic rays (more likely 5G EMFs) It's more than you think it is.

I’ve always thought about cancer in a way that’s a bit different from most people. Sure, when I picture what causes it, my mind hits the usual suspects: smoking, drinking, carrying a few extra kilos, or maybe some unlucky twist in my DNA. I also think about poor diet—too much junk food and not enough of the good stuff—along with nutritional deficiencies, like missing out on key vitamins or minerals that keep your body humming. And then there’s toxins, those sneaky chemicals in the air, water, or food that creep into our lives. Sometimes I even imagine cosmic rays ( more likely 5G) zapping the wrong cell at the wrong time—just bad luck. But stress? That’s always been on my radar too. I’ve long suspected it plays a bigger role than people give it credit for. And now, it feels good to see studies starting to catch up and validate what I’ve been thinking all along—especially since I’ve always seen stress management as a lifestyle choice worth making.

It really hit home during a conversation I had with my friend Arni Lasi. She’s a breast cancer surgeon, brilliant at what she does, and honestly, she’s seen it all. We were grabbing coffee one afternoon, and I asked her what she thinks causes cancer. Without missing a beat, she said, “Stress.” I nodded—it wasn’t news to me—but I let her go on. She told me about her patients—women showing up with breast cancer out of nowhere. No family history, no obvious genetic red flags, often young. And yet, there’s this pattern she can’t ignore: stress. A messy divorce, a parent’s death, a brutal work schedule—these stories come up again and again. Arni’s convinced there’s a connection, not because of some textbook, but because she’s seen it too many times to call it coincidence. I’ve always felt the same way, though I’d add poor diet, deficiencies, toxins to the mix and most importantly chronic inflammation, and hearing her say it out loud only reinforced what I already believed.

Then I came across this new study that’s proving my point about stress in a big way. It was in JAMA Network Open, led by a researcher named Stefan Ambs from the National Cancer Institute. They studied 121 women with breast cancer—65 White, 56 Black, average age around 56—and dug deep into how stress messes with the body. The way they described it, it was like a detective story unfolding in their blood and tumours. They tested everything: immune markers, DNA, RNA, you name it. And the focus? Stress, broken down into four pieces—everyday grind like work and family, racial discrimination, loneliness, and living in tough neighborhoods.

What I found out just confirmed what I’ve suspected for years. Stress doesn’t just sit there in your head—it rewires your immune system in ways that roll out the red carpet for cancer. For one, it ramps up stuff like angiopoietins, which sounds harmless until you realize they’re like fuel for tumors, helping them grow blood vessels to stay alive. Then there’s what’s happening right around the tumor—like the neighborhood it’s setting up shop in. Stress turns the good guys, like natural killer cells that hunt down cancer, into benchwarmers, while letting the lazy ones, the ones that actually protect the tumor, take over. It’s like firing the best cops in town and replacing them with guys who’d rather nap than fight crime. I’ve always thought stress could do something like that—on top of what a bad diet, missing nutrients, or toxins might already be doing—and now here’s the proof.

There’s a twist, though. Stress also makes tumors more genetically messed up—more mutations. That could mean they’re nastier, sure, but it might also make them easier targets for some of those fancy new natural anti-cancer nutrients. I noticed the study said this hit Black women harder, which got me wondering about why breast cancer seems tougher in that community. And while all those big stressors like discrimination and isolation played a role, it was the plain old daily stress—the kind I feel juggling deadlines and bills—that tied into the worst changes across the board. That’s exactly what I’ve been saying: it’s the everyday stuff that wears you down and sets the stage for trouble, alongside the damage from poor eating, nutrient gaps, and toxic exposure. Lately, though, there’s a new stress weighing on people’s minds: the potential side effects of the Covid mRNA jabs, including the noise about turbo cancers—those aggressive, fast-growing types that scare the hell out of everyone. The worry alone is enough to pile on more stress, and that’s a vicious cycle I’ve always seen coming.

Reading all this, I felt a little smug, honestly. I’ve always had stress on my cancer risk list, right up there with smoking, bad genes, poor diet, nutritional deficiencies, and toxins, and now the science is backing me up—at least on the stress part. This study’s not the full story—it’s more like a first peek into a messy puzzle—but it’s enough to show I’ve been on the right track. Telling someone with cancer “don’t stress” is still easier said than done, and fixing diet or dodging toxins isn’t simple either. But I’ve always believed stress management is a lifestyle choice—like eating well or staying active—and there are real ways to tackle it. For me, apart from vitamin C neutralising the harmful effects of stress, a substance like medicinal cannabis is a definite go-to. It’s incredible for managing anxiety and stress—it clears my head and gives me this boost of mental energy that keeps me going. I’ve heard yoga or meditation can help too, and maybe even hitting the golf course or chilling with my family. But I also think psychedelic mushrooms might play a more important role, especially for cancer patients. If they can separate negative emotions from harmful memories, like some say, that could be a game-changer for stress management and getting to the real emotional root cause of the problem—letting people process the tough stuff, even fears about those jabs, without it dragging them down. Whatever works, I figure it’s worth a shot. My body might thank me for it—and apparently, so might the tiny defenders around my cells. Turns out, I’ve been onto something all along.

This is not meant as medical advice. Please always consult your chosen health care practitioner for diagnosis and treatment.

Ian Brighthope