Experiments from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) demonstrated that mice subjected to chronic stress exhibited a two- to four-fold increase in lung metastases. Interventions that disrupted neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, from responding to stress hormones effectively stopped stress-induced cancer metastases.
The research from CSHL shows that stress is a mechanistic pathway in cancer. It actively alters cellular processes, metabolism, and immune function, creating a biochemical environment that is conducive to cancer growth. If we can break that cycle, by blocking stress hormone signaling, we may have a new way to slow cancer’s progression without toxic interventions.
Mechanism: In the experiment, glucocorticoids (cortisol) were found to trigger neutrophils to release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which act as a scaffold for cancer cells to migrate and invade new tissues. When the researchers blocked the ability of neutrophils to respond to cortisol, NET formation was significantly reduced, and the associated metastatic spread was stopped.
Managing stress is critical for cancer treatment. It’s important to understand that stress is not just a mental experience, stress is very physical. Stress can be thought of as any pressure put on cells, forcing them to adapt in ways to support survival. While helpful in the short term, these adaptations often come at the cost of our long term health, metabolically, hormonally, etc.
When we experience a stressor, the body releases cortisol and adrenaline. This is an adaptive mechanism. Both of these hormones release glucose and fatty acids into the blood to ensure that our cells have enough energy to handle whatever we are facing: a negative emotion, an injury, a toxin, a deficiency. Our bodies are simply just trying to survive.
Cancer cells, too, respond to stress, attempting to survive in a hostile environment. Some theories suggest they are simply dysfunctional cells attempting to heal, but when the conditions for repair are inadequate, they will move to a more favorable area in the body. This is why we see increased metastasis under stress.
Chronic exposure to stress can remodel our metabolism, immune system, and hormone balance.
- Metabolism: When cells are stressed, they will increase glycolysis and fatty acid oxidation, hallmarks of cancer metabolism. This shift is a protective adaptation, simply an attempt to preserve resources, maintain ATP production under stress, and prevent complete energy collapse.
- Immunity: Chronic stress suppresses the body’s natural immune response, weakening its ability to detect cancer cells and fight infections. It activates neutrophils to release NETs, which don’t just fight infections but also create highways for cancer cells to spread.
- Hormone balance: Stress triggers elevated cortisol, adrenaline, estrogen, and serotonin, all of which contribute to cancer progression. Over time these hormones can suppress thyroid function, testosterone, progesterone, DHEA, etc., all favorable, protective, and when levels drop, the stress response is amplified.
What can increase stress hormones?
- Low blood sugar
- Low thyroid function, forcing cells to rely on cortisol for energy production
- Chronic infections
- Poor sleep and circadian disruption
- Lack of sunlight / excessive blue light exposure
- Emotional stress and trauma
- Estrogen dominance
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids and oxidative stress
- Excess serotonin
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Fasting or extreme calorie restriction
- High environmental toxin exposure
- Excessive exercise
- Negative relationships
- Poor liver function
Some potential strategies to mitigate excess cortisol & stress:
- Pregnenolone, progesterone, and DHEA supplementation. All of these hormones have demonstrated to mitigate the catabolic effects of cortisol
- Dietary carbohydrates. Glucose lowers cortisol by reducing the body’s need to produce stress hormones. Eating sufficient fruit, honey, etc. prevents blood sugar crashes, which can trigger cortisol spikes.
- Sodium & electrolyte balance. Low sodium levels activate the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, increasing cortisol production. Adequate salt intake helps stabilize adrenal function and prevents unnecessary cortisol release.
- Emotional work. At the center, we use EVOX, a biofeedback-based technology that helps identify and release subconscious stress patterns.
- Certain drugs. Low-dose naltrexone (LDN) has been explored for its ability to modulate inflammation and immune function, which can be disrupted by chronic stress. Cyproheptadine, an antihistamine with anti-serotonin effects, can help reduce cortisol spikes.
- Thyroid hormone supplementation. Since low thyroid function forces the body to rely on cortisol for energy production, optimizing thyroid levels with T3 or a combination of T3/T4 can help reduce chronic cortisol reliance.
Cancer is not an invading organism, it is the body’s own tissue, trying to recover from a stressor but lacking the resources to do so. When cells experience chronic damage from toxins, inflammation, hormonal imbalances, or metabolic dysfunction, they attempt to repair themselves. But when the stress is too great or the necessary nutrients, oxygen, and energy production pathways are compromised, normal regeneration fails. Instead of completing the healing process, the tissue enters a survival state, prioritizing growth over proper function. At its core, cancer is a response to stress, an unhealed injury or an adaptation to a hostile environment.
To heal any disease, we have to take care of stress. It’s not just an abstract idea, but a real biological force that shapes how our bodies function. I think the first step in the healing process is to lift the physical burdens that keep the body stuck in survival mode. That means addressing nutrient deficiencies, toxins, infections, anything that blocks cells from producing energy efficiently. When energy production is compromised, the body has no choice but to rely on stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to get through the day.
It’s important to remember that our mindset plays a really big role in our stress levels too. In appointments with patients, I usually spend time talking about what is going on in their lives on an emotional level, the way they carry the weight of their experiences, hold onto fear, etc. Our perception intimately influences our biology. When we remove the stressors, supply the right resources, and create an environment where the body feels safe we can start to heal.