Behavioral Factors in Cancer

1
Behavioral Factors in Cancer

• Chapter ten

2
Cancer an overview

• A set of 100 diseases
• All result from DNA dysfunction
• Rapid cell growth that spreads out of control
• Cells provide no benefit to body
• Cancerous cells sap bodys resources

3
Neoplastic cells

• New or abnormal growth
• Benign or malignant
• Malignant tumors metastisize
• Invade and destroy tissue
• Types
• Carcinomas skin, stomach membranes
• Sarcomas connective tissues, i.e., bone,
  muscles, cartilage
• Leukemias originate in blood
• Lymphomas lymphatic system

4
Rates

• Most cancers due to exposure to environmental
  agent
• 1900-1990 cancer rates climbed
• Since 1990 cancer rates have declined
• Most of decline is in lung, colorectal,breast and
  prostate cancer

5
Rates on the increase

• Non-Hodgkins lymphoma
• Liver cancer
• Melanoma
• Others

6
Cancer hard to study

• Many are species specific
• Mice contract many monkey few
• Develop in different ways in different species
• Many have long, irregular growth cycles
• High within-species variability

7
Risk factors beyond personal control

• Family history and genetics
• Genetic factors interact with environmental
  factors
• Ethnic background
• African Americans 40-50 higher than European
  Americans
• Age
• Environmental factors
• Radiation, asbestos, pesticides, household
  chemicals?

8
Behavioral risk factors

• Smoking
• 438,000 a year die in USA
• 40 lung cancer
• Smokers have double the risk of cancer death
• Dose related
• Optimistic bias

9
Behavioral factors.

• Diet
• Up to 1/3 of cancer deaths
• Animal fat
• Healthy diet may offer weak protection
• Alcohol
• synergistic relationship with smoking
• Lack of exercise
• Ultraviolet light

10
Behavioral factors..

• Sexual behavior
• AIDS related cancers
• Cervical cancer
• Prostate cancer
• ovarian

11
Coping with cancer

• Negative side effects
• Distress and pain
• Fear and anxiety
• Nausea, fatigue ,depression
• Threat of return of disease

12
Coping Interventions

• Health education
• Help with problem solving
• Managing stress
• Guided imagery and systematic desensitization to
  control effects of chemotherapy
• Depression and prognosis