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According to researchers from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in the September issue of "Cancer Causes and Control," women who have experienced severe depression may have a higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to the general female population. However, depression is not a major risk factor for other types of cancer in women.
The published study suggests that further research into the link between breast cancer and depression could aid in future breast cancer prevention.
Dr. Eaton, a professor of mental health at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, stated, "There are not many risk factors for breast cancer, and we can now provide another piece of the puzzle. We believe depression is altering bodily functions and contributing to disease."
In 1981, these researchers first conducted standardized interviews in East Baltimore to determine whether participants had experienced severe depression, frequent low moods, or neither. They followed up in 1994 to identify which of the 3,109 participants had developed cancer and the type of cancer.
The researchers found that women who had experienced depression were nearly four times more likely to develop breast cancer than those without depression. They also suspect a possible similar link between depression and prostate cancer in men, though this data remains inconclusive. Both breast and prostate cancers are hormone-related.
Dr. Gallo, a former faculty member at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and now a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, noted, "Unlike lung or colon cancer, certain cancers arise from the body's response to hormones like estrogen and testosterone." He added, "There is much discussion about psychological and physiological disorders, but it is the person who is unwell. Studies like ours aim to show that the artificial division between body and mind is meaningless."
Eaton emphasized that the medical community must further explore depression and its links to breast and prostate cancers. He said, "The next challenge is to determine how they interact. If we treat depression, can we reduce the risk of cancer?" He also pointed out that previous studies have hinted at a connection between depression and cancer, but few have established that depression precedes cancer as clearly as this study.
In 1981, Johns Hopkins researchers also studied the same group to examine the link between depression and other diseases. They found that individuals with severe depression were more than twice as likely to develop diabetes and over four times as likely to suffer a heart attack. Eaton remarked, "Everyone experiences low moods, but we need to determine at what level of depression the risk of various diseases increases."
Last modified: December 16, 2000
Source: http://www. show. org. tw/ health_detail. asp? x_no=0000003256
Depression in Women Linked to Higher Breast Cancer Risk
The published study suggests that further research into the link between breast cancer and depression could aid in future breast cancer prevention.
Dr. Eaton, a professor of mental health at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, stated, "There are not many risk factors for breast cancer, and we can now provide another piece of the puzzle. We believe depression is altering bodily functions and contributing to disease."
In 1981, these researchers first conducted standardized interviews in East Baltimore to determine whether participants had experienced severe depression, frequent low moods, or neither. They followed up in 1994 to identify which of the 3,109 participants had developed cancer and the type of cancer.
The researchers found that women who had experienced depression were nearly four times more likely to develop breast cancer than those without depression. They also suspect a possible similar link between depression and prostate cancer in men, though this data remains inconclusive. Both breast and prostate cancers are hormone-related.
Dr. Gallo, a former faculty member at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and now a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, noted, "Unlike lung or colon cancer, certain cancers arise from the body's response to hormones like estrogen and testosterone." He added, "There is much discussion about psychological and physiological disorders, but it is the person who is unwell. Studies like ours aim to show that the artificial division between body and mind is meaningless."
Eaton emphasized that the medical community must further explore depression and its links to breast and prostate cancers. He said, "The next challenge is to determine how they interact. If we treat depression, can we reduce the risk of cancer?" He also pointed out that previous studies have hinted at a connection between depression and cancer, but few have established that depression precedes cancer as clearly as this study.
In 1981, Johns Hopkins researchers also studied the same group to examine the link between depression and other diseases. They found that individuals with severe depression were more than twice as likely to develop diabetes and over four times as likely to suffer a heart attack. Eaton remarked, "Everyone experiences low moods, but we need to determine at what level of depression the risk of various diseases increases."
Last modified: December 16, 2000
Source: http://www. show. org. tw/ health_detail. asp? x_no=0000003256