Job Stress and Breast Cancer Risk- NZ Herald article

There was an interesting article in the NZ Herald this week which a few patients have mentioned so I thought it was worth putting down my thoughts on it.

This article was referring to a recent study linking higher levels of work place stress to higher rates of breast cancer in women. Here are the key findings:

“Successful women may be more likely to develop breast cancer – and stress at work, including prejudice, discrimination, and resistance, could be to blame.

Women in professional jobs had a near 70 per cent higher risk of breast cancer than other women, according to new research.

The research, based on a 55-year study of women who were in their thirties in the 1970′s, links job stress and cancer, and shows that the longer a woman held the job, the greater the risk.”

It’s been interesting talking to people about this article over the last few days, and it’s led to some thought provoking conversations. Here are some of my thoughts about it, in no particular order.

- I think that there’s a large and growing acceptance of the complicated relationship between mind and body and environment. And surely it’s beyond doubt that stress affects our health. But still a 70% increase in breast cancer rates is incredible! That is a massive increase!

- Because it’s such a large effect I think it’s worth taking with a grain of salt. There have been several other very large and well regarded studies that have looked specifically at the relationship between job stress and breast cancer risk in women and found absolutely no link at all.

- I think the study raises the issue of ‘hidden’ risk factors. It’s easy to accept that things like smoking, obesity and low socio-economic status are risk factors for poor health but what if it turned out that ‘success’ and ‘achieving career goals’ were risk factors as well?

- And of course… what about men? If this study is showing a true effect is there a similar effect for guys as well?

The wheels of science turn slowly and I’m sure that any definitive answers to these musings won’t arise for a while. Still, it’s interesting to think about what we do know and what we don’t and I’ve enjoyed talking with people about it.