Abstract
In order to assess whether exposure to stress was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, 100 women presenting with carcinoma of the breast completed a standard life events inventory documenting life stresses experienced during the previous three years. The same questionnaire was completed by 100 women presenting with benign breast lumps and 100 apparently healthy controls. Both groups of patients with breast disease also completed the Eysenck personality inventory. There was no difference in the number of stressful life events experienced by the patients with benign and malignant breast lesions and the nature and severity of those stresses encountered were similar for both groups. The personality indices were also the same for both groups. The controls, however, recorded significantly higher levels of stress exposure than the patients with breast disease. On the basis of this series, there is no evidence to support the hypothesis that stress predisposes to breast cancer development.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 24 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $10.79 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Priestman, T., Priestman, S. & Bradshaw, C. Stress and breast cancer. Br J Cancer 51, 493–498 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1985.71
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1985.71
This article is cited by
-
Perinatal factors increase breast cancer risk
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment (1994)
-
Psychosocial factors in the development and progression of breast cancer
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment (1994)