Many people have heard that “stress is bad for your health,” but beyond affecting our mood and blood pressure, it can also directly influence how the body fights cancer. A recent article published in Nature showed that stress hormones can help triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells survive and resist the immune system, making it harder for the body to eliminate early tumors or cancer cells that spread to other organs.
In studies with mice and human cells, scientists discovered that when we are stressed, cancer cells activate proteins called glucocorticoid receptors (GR). These proteins change how certain genes in the cell function and turn off a “self-destruct button” called FAS, which lymphocytes—the body’s “police”—normally use to eliminate cancer cells. As a result, disseminated tumor cells (DTCs), which are the seeds that travel to other organs like the lungs to form metastases, become more resistant and survive better. Interestingly, this effect does not impact the primary tumor as much, but mostly these cells that move to new locations.
Scientists also found that if the stress receptor or the genes it controls are blocked, cancer cells become weaker and can be eliminated more easily. In experiments with mice, using a drug that blocks this receptor (mifepristone) together with immunotherapy (treatment that helps the immune system) reduced metastases and helped the animals live longer.
This means that understanding how stress activates this “shield” in cancer cells could help develop treatments that not only attack the tumor but also allow our own immune system to fight it more effectively.
Furthermore, they studied patients with triple-negative breast cancer and observed that those with higher stress receptor activity had a greater risk of cancer returning or spreading. This shows that stress can influence cancer progression and that these findings have real relevance for people’s health.
Managing stress, resting, and maintaining healthy habits not only makes us feel better but also strengthens our immune system and helps protect us from serious diseases like cancer. With this information, individuals can make more conscious decisions about their health, supporting prevention and care through a holistic approach based on scientific evidence.
Reference
- Cassandras, M., Sanchez, X., Hsu, L., et al. (2026). A glucocorticoid–FAS axis controls immune evasion during metastatic seeding. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10222-2
Adjunct Professor in Sociology at the University of Barcelona