YOUNG women who suffer bad luck in their lives face an increased risk of breast cancer, researchers claimed yesterday.
Misery-causing events such as bereavement and divorce can make women more likely to develop the disease, a new study suggests.
But feeling happy and optimistic appears to have a protective effect, reducing the risk of breast cancer.
However, he
alth campaigners said the link between positive thinking and breast cancer was still unclear.
Researchers in Israel based their findings on a survey of 255 breast cancer patients and 367 healthy women aged 25 to 45. The women were questioned about their life experiences to gauge whether they had enjoyed good luck or suffered more than their fair share of misery.
The women's levels of happiness, optimism, anxiety and depression were evaluated before any of them were diagnosed with cancer. Suffering two or more adverse events, such as a loved-one's death or the breakdown of a relationship, increased the likelihood of developing breast cancer by 62 per cent.
But for those who reported a "general feeling of happiness and optimism", the risk of developing the disease was reduced by 75 per cent.
Study leader Dr Ronit Peled, from the Faculty of Health Sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, said: "Young women who have been exposed to a number of negative life events should be considered an 'at-risk' group for breast cancer and should be treated accordingly."
The impact of bad events on cancer risk appeared to increase the more they occurred, the scientists said. A significant effect was only seen after two or more events had occurred in a person's life.
The idea that depression and stress may be connected to the risk of cancer is a controversial issue.
Claims that breast cancer is linked to stressful events dates back to the 19th century. In 1893 Dr Herbert Snow, at the London Cancer Hospital, studied 250 women with breast and womb cancers and reported that the vast majority had a "general liability to the buffets of ill- fortune".
Since then, a number of other researchers have claimed to have demonstrated a link between adverse life events, depression, anxiety and breast cancer. But other experts have criticised these studies and insisted that no reliable evidence of such a connection exists.
The new study focused only on younger women, who are far less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than those who have passed the menopause.
Each year, around 45,500 women in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer, 80 per cent of whom are over the age of 50. Of these, 12,300 are likely to die from it.
Dr Sarah Cant, policy manager at charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "There is no clear evidence that positive or negative experiences can affect breast cancer risk. Emotional stress is highly subjective and difficult to measure accurately."
HRT shown to ease unwelcome symptoms for women in menopauseHORMONE replacement therapy (HRT) could improve sleep, boost sexuality and ease joint pain in older women, say researchers.
Several studies have linked HRT with an increased risk of breast cancer, heart problems and deep vein thrombosis. Now researchers, led by Professor Alastair MacLennan, of the University of Adelaide in Australia, have found that, while these risks need to be considered, HRT could dramatically ease symptoms of the menopause which reduce quality of life.
Thousands of women aged 50-69 in Australia, New Zealand and the UK took part in the study, receiving combined HRT – oestrogen and progestogen – or a placebo. After an average of 12 months, significantly fewer women taking HRT reported suffering hot flushes – 9 per cent compared with 25 per cent taking the dummy pill.
They were also less likely to suffer night sweats (14 per cent compared with 23 per cent), aching joints and muscles (57 per cent versus 63 per cent), or insomnia (35 per cent compared with 41 per cent).
But other symptoms, including depression and overall quality of life were not significantly affected.
The full article contains 672 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
