Stress linked to breast cancer

Press, 1 December 1987, Page 42

Stress linked to breast cancer

PA Wellington Stress may be linked to recurring breast cancer in women, says a visiting Australian author. A biologist and clinical psychologist, Dr Antony Kidman, of Sydney, is involved in a five-year study to investigate the long-term emotional state of women in remission from breast cancer. Stress may upset the immune system and be a factor in cancer recurrence, he said. Dr Kidman is in New Zealand to publicise a self-help manual, “Tactics

for Change,” he has written to. help people to change aspects of their behaviour they do not like. There was much anecdotal evidence to suggest that people’s emotional state could affect their health, he said. “There’s no doubt that when people are highly stressed or emotional that their immune system is less able to handle attacks by infections or outside, agents,” Dr Kidman said. People who had something bad happen to them, such as being sacked, could react by getting profoundly depressed or bit-

'terly angry — or look at their situation rationally and not allow themselves to get hostile or depressed. People had to be realistic and realise that things did not always go smoothly — “We can’t predict what’s going to happen. We may get dealt a good hand in life but we may not” Those with a good attitude realised that things would not always.be bad. “When the chips are down that’s when we need these skills, and a lot of people don’t have them and go to pieces,” Dr Kidman said.