Cancer: Stress Does Not Increase the Risk of Developing Cancer

Scientists from the University Medical Center Groningen have found that stress and other psychosocial factors do not increase the risk of developing cancer. The results were published in the journal Cancer.

The study used data from the Psychosocial Factors and Cancer Consortium (PSY-CA), an international project investigating whether psychological and social factors are linked to cancer risk.

Researchers analyzed data from 421,799 individuals, assessing a range of psychosocial indicators, including levels of social support, marital status, experiences of bereavement, personality traits such as neuroticism, and overall psychological distress.

The analysis showed that none of these factors were associated with an increased overall risk of cancer. No links were found with the most common types of the disease, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colorectal cancer.

Some initial statistical associations were observed for lung cancer—for example, among individuals who had experienced the loss of a loved one or had low levels of social support. However, after adjusting for established risk factors, particularly smoking and genetic predisposition, most of these associations disappeared.

According to the study’s lead author, Lonneke van Tuijl, the findings do not support the widespread belief that poor mental health or stress directly increases the likelihood of developing cancer.

The researchers note that weak links observed in some studies between stress and cancer are often explained by related lifestyle factors—such as smoking, alcohol consumption, or other behavioral habits—that are known to increase disease risk.