Stress link to breast cancer ?

WOMEN with high levels of stress in their everyday lives are at less risk than others of developing breast cancer for the first time, according to research. Scientists from Denmark drew their conclusions after studying 6,689 women for 18 years, and speculated that it may be because daily stress suppressed production of oestrogen, which is a risk factor in breast cancer. "Prolonged low key stress of everyday life results in a persistent activation of stress hormones which may impair oestrogen synthesis and may therefore be related to lower risk of breast cancer," they wrote. However, they pointed out that this theory was untested and deserved greater investigation. But they warned that stress was not a health cure, since high levels had also been linked to higher risk of heart disease.