1. Seminar-Biobehavioral Influences on Cancer Growth and Progression
By Dr. Guillermo Armaiz
In this seminar, Dr. Guillermo Armaiz discussed how psychological factors such as
stress, chronic depression, and lack of social support might promote tumor growth and
progression. There are several problems attributed to behavioral influences, and many times we
ignore that. Under chronic stress, the activation of pathways to fight stress negatively affects
most organs because they are under extended exposure. Other behaviors associated with
health problems are the suppression of negative emotions, feelings of hopelessness, and
denial. I learned that short-term stress, for example, being in a fight or taking a test, is not
harmful for our health. It is only when it is present for a long period of time that it is damaging
(chronic stress). Cancer initiation and metastasis was also discussed in this seminar. I learned
how cancer really works, how social problems might promote tumor growth and progression
because of the stress hormones, and how the B-blockers have been shown to abrogate many
stress effects on malignant tumor growth.
Questions:
1. Why did the research group work with ovarian cancer?
2. Where does ovarian cancer metastases? How is the chemical environment in that
places?
3. How are people treated with B-blockers?