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Surprising Science

Stress Cases

Stress hormones may indirectly promote the spread of cancer in the body by hurting the immune system’s anti-tumor mechanisms and encouraging new blood vessels to form.

The hormones associated with chronic stress may indirectly promote the spread of cancer in the body by hurting the immune system’s anti-tumor mechanisms and encouraging new blood vessels to form. Researcher Anil Sood says he now hopes to find ways to interfere with these tumor-feeding stress hormones with cognitive-behavioral therapies or drugs like beta blockers and anti-depressants.


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