Striking life events associated with primary breast cancer susceptibility in women: a meta-analysis study

Abstract

PurposeThe association between striking life events, an important stress and acute anxiety disorder, and the occurrence of primary breast cancer is unclear. The current meta-analysis was designed to assess the relationship between striking life events and primary breast cancer incidence in women.MethodsSystematic computerized searching of the PubMed, ScienceDirect, Embase, and BMJ databases with the combinations of controlled descriptors from Mesh, including breast cancer, breast tumor, cancer of breast, mammary carcinoma, life events, life change events, case–control studies, case-base studies, cohort study, and cohort analysis and identified a total of 307 papers published from January 1995 to April 2012. Following evaluation of methodological quality with the Downs & Black criteria, seven case–control or cohort studies were selected and the association between striking life events and primary breast cancer incidence in women was measured using random effect or fixed-effect odds ratios combined with 95% confidence interval.ResultsThe seven studies included in the final meta-analysis included 99,807 women. A meta-analysis showed that the pooled OR for striking life events and breast cancer was 1.51 (95% CI 1.15 - 1.97, P = 0.003), indicating that women with striking life events were at 1.5-fold greater risk of developing breast cancer. The pooled OR for severe striking life events and breast cancer was 2.07 (95% CI 1.06 - 4.03), indicating that women with severe striking life events were at 2-fold greater risk of developing breast cancer.ConclusionsThe current meta-analysis showed significant evidence for a positive association between striking life events and primary breast cancer incidence in women.

Negative Valence Life Events Promote Breast Cancer Development

“…The pooled OR was 1.51 (95% CI, 1.15–1.97; P = .003) for LEs and primary breast cancer. 27 This estimate was understandably discrepant with ours, because the valence/desirability of LEs summed in these studies was not considered. 14,15,18,25 Previous research that considered the desirability of LEs and the risk of psychological and physical illness supports our findings by showing a consistent positive relationship between negative valence LEs and disease and no consistent effect of positive valence LEs on disease.…”

“…This finding is supported by previous studies indicating the effect of distressing LEs in increasing breast cancer risk. 14–16 A recent meta-analysis by Lin et al 27 analyzed 7 studies reported from 1995 to 2012. The pooled OR was 1.51 (95% CI, 1.15–1.97; P = .003) for LEs and primary breast cancer.…”

Social environment mediates cancer progression in Drosophila

“…10,11 for non-human animal studies), and the topic remains controversial. Adverse psycho-social factors, including traumatic life events, high levels of depressive symptoms, or low levels of social support, have been related to higher rates of, for example, breast and colon cancers 12,13 . However, these community based studies or meta-analyses often suffer from the complexity of inter-correlated factors.…”

Hormonal contraceptives suppress oxytocin-induced brain reward responses to the partner’s face

“…Grief over the loss of a partner is considered a major adverse life event associated with an elevated risk for stress-related psychiatric disorders (Lundin, 1984;Keyes et al, 2014), acute myocardial infarction in men (Mostofsky et al, 2012) and breast cancer in women (Lillberg et al, 2003;Lin et al, 2013). Multiple lines of evidence suggest that the hypothalamic peptide oxytocin (OXT) is a key factor modulating pair-bonding behaviors (Young and Wang, 2004;Hurlemann and Scheele, 2016).…”