The Role of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis in the Development and Progression of Cancer

While the adverse, stimulatory effect of the sympathoadrenal system on the development and especially on the progression of cancer has been documented in a large number of experimental and clinical studies, the importance of the involvement of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis in processes related to tumor initiation and progression has been characterized in less detail. In doing so, glucocorticoids are widely used in the treatment of cancer patients. In hematological malignancies, their antitumor effect is used, whereas in solid tumors, they are used to mitigate the effects of the tumor itself on the organism (e.g., edema, pain, inflammation, anorexia) as well as the adverse effects of conventional cancer treatment (e.g., chemotherapy-induced leukocytopenia, nausea, emesis).