In cancer-ridden rats, loneliness can kill: Isolation and stress identified as contributing to breast cancer risk
Tuesday, December 8, 2009 - 01:21
in Health & Medicine
Social isolation and related stress could contribute to human breast cancer susceptibility, research from a rat model to identify environmental mechanisms contributing to cancer risk shows. The researchers found that isolation and stress result in a 3.3-fold increase in the risk of developing cancer among rats with naturally occurring mammary tumors. The research establishes, for the first time, that isolation and stress could be a factor in human breast cancer risk.