Psychosocial Factors Influence the Development and Progression of Cancer

For centuries, physicians have pointed out, based on their empirical findings, that adverse psychosocial factors may be responsible for the onset and progression of various diseases, including cancer. However, it was not until the second half of the twentieth century that scientists began to elucidate the link between psychosocial factors and cancer using scientific methods. It should be noted, however, that although a number of retrospective studies have shown that psychotherapeutic methods or the administration of drugs that limit the impact of adverse psychosocial factors on the body have improved the survival of cancer patients, there are also a large number of studies that have not confirmed such an effect. Nevertheless, the link between psychosocial factors and cancer represents an important pillar of the neurobiology of cancer, and this is because it is the investigation of this area that has stimulated interest in understanding the mechanisms and pathways responsible for the interactions between the nervous system and the cancer process.