KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to explore the link between stressful life events and skin cancer incidence.
- The findings suggested complex links between stress, life events, adaptation, and skin cancer, urging comprehensive prevention strategies.
While emotional states’ influence on skin conditions is widely recognized, research into stress’s impact on skin cancer development remains limited. Further investigation into this relationship is crucial for better understanding skin cancer etiology and developing effective prevention strategies. By exploring the intersection of stress and skin cancer, researchers can potentially uncover novel insights into disease mechanisms and inform targeted interventions for at-risk populations.
Noa Shidlo and the team aimed to broaden the understanding of skin cancer risk factors by examining the intricate correlation between stressful life events and the occurrence of skin cancer.
The study, conducted at a dermatological clinic, involved 268 individuals divided into three groups, including those in remission from cutaneous melanoma (32%), individuals previously diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer (30%), and a control group at risk for skin cancer (38%).
Participants completed questionnaires about life events during childhood and adulthood and the loss and gain of resources following their most subjectively stressful adulthood event. They utilized multinomial logistic regression to analyze the connections between life events and skin cancer occurrence, including the mediating and moderating effects of resource loss/gain.
The results revealed a significant association between adverse childhood experiences and the occurrence of melanoma, with the melanoma group reporting a notably higher prevalence of such experiences compared to the control group (P< 0.001).
Additionally, resource loss stemming from subjectively significant stressful life events in adulthood was found to partially mediate the link between adverse childhood experiences and melanoma incidence.
These findings imply intricate connections between stress, life events, adaptation to change, and skin cancer, warranting further exploration in future research. The study highlighted the necessity for a more comprehensive approach to stress management, the development of coping strategies, and the prevention of skin cancer within healthcare settings.
No funding was received.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38697780/
Shidlo N, Lazarov A, Benyamini Y., et al. (2024). “Stressful life events and the occurrence of skin cancer.” Psychooncology. 2024 May;33(5):e6343. doi: 10.1002/pon.6343. PMID: 38697780.
