[Fat Bear Science] Does the legendary "cancer personality" really exist? People with these personalities will stay away from cancer

I heard that you have encountered a lot of bad luck recently, why didn’t you tell us?

Oh, I don't know who to talk to. Besides, you know me, I have always been like this.

Don't let everything get to your mind all day long. It's not good for your health.

What's wrong with that? It might just make someone mad to death, right?

It is possible. I heard a few days ago that people who are distant from others, who often cause trouble, who have a melancholy personality and do not express their emotions, who are always prone to temper tantrums, and who are anxious, depressed and unhappy, have a probability of getting cancer many times higher than ordinary people.

Oh, don’t scare me.

Don't worry, I'll go ask Doctor Fat Bear.

Recently, Fat Bear also saw a health science article saying that people with anxious, lonely, introverted, and depressed personalities have a 40% higher risk of cancer than extroverts, because these negative emotions not only affect our immune system, but also our quality of life.

The so-called cancer personality refers to the personal characteristics that make one prone to cancer. In life, we may often hear people say: Don’t be introverted and repressed, and getting angry over and over again will easily lead to cancer! Don’t be competitive and impatient, and you will easily get cancer! Is this true? Is there really a cancer personality?

Expert Profile

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Wang Donglin

Head of the Department of Oncology at the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Chongqing University, chief physician, professor, doctor of medicine, doctoral supervisor, and chief expert on colorectal cancer.

He is good at chemotherapy of malignant tumors and molecular targeted therapy of tumors, especially in the diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumors such as colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and gastric cancer.

Clinic Hours:

Monday morning, Thursday morning (special request)

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Chen Wen

Resident physician in the Department of Medical Oncology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital.

He is good at the diagnosis and internal medicine treatment of malignant tumors such as lung cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, and esophageal cancer.

Let’s talk about the cause first: Cancer occurs when the immune function is destroyed and gene mutation occurs

The occurrence of cancer is usually a long-term chronic process, in which pathogenic factors and protective factors of the body fight each other throughout the process until the balance tilts to the bad side, eventually leading to cancer.

The process of carcinogenesis is: the currently identified causes of cancer include: chemical carcinogens, tobacco, alcohol, radiation, hepatitis B virus, human papillomavirus, Helicobacter pylori, asbestos, etc. They damage the body and produce chronic inflammation. Cells are constantly undergoing genetic mutations during repeated renewal and replacement. If something goes wrong, it will lead to cancer.

In the early stages of cancer, the human immune system can quickly eliminate these bad guys because the number of cancer cells is small. However, when the immune system is damaged and immune escape occurs, the tumor will grow wildly. The key point here is that the occurrence of tumors either promotes cell canceration or destroys the immune system.

Conclusion: So far, there is no evidence to prove that personality causes cancer.

Many people have read articles about cancer-causing personalities online, warning us to stay away from cancer-causing personalities, and even listing several cancer-causing personalities. However, this statement is not rigorous and has no scientific basis to support it. People's emotions fluctuate, which is very difficult to quantify. To prove that personality is related to the occurrence of cancer, it is necessary to design a prospective study, that is, among people who do not have cancer, divide them into different groups according to different personalities, and finally compare whether their cancer incidence rates are statistically different.

There are such studies. A prospective study in Japan included 30,277 people in total, divided them into four groups according to their personality traits, followed them up for seven years, and finally 986 cases of cancer occurred. The results of the study showed that the hypothesis that personality traits are the cause of cancer is not supported. There are also some retrospective studies with lower levels of evidence. Meta-analysis of several retrospective studies also did not find that personality traits cause cancer.

There is no epidemiological evidence that personality is the cause of cancer. So what about at the micro level? At present, some scholars believe that emotions can affect endocrine and immune functions and may promote cancer. This is mainly based on animal experiments. Studies have found that stress stimulation of mice can help tumors form new lymphatic vessels and blood vessels, promoting tumor growth and metastasis. However, the physiological structure of humans is far different from that of mice, and emotions are even more complex and changeable. Such experimental results are only theoretical hypotheses, and more experimental research is needed to prove them in humans.

Although there is no such thing as a cancer personality, some personalities are more likely to avoid cancer.

At present, early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment of cancer have become a consensus. The best way to prevent and fight cancer is physical examination. However, it is worth noting that although the cost of physical examination is not high, not all people take the initiative to take physical examination.

Many studies have shown that personality traits are correlated with cancer screening. A meta-analysis showed that people with extroversion and a strong sense of responsibility are more willing to undergo cancer screening. People with such personalities will inevitably benefit from cancer screening.

Previous studies have also found that people with a stronger sense of responsibility have better health behaviors (such as more exercise, healthier diet, safer sex, etc.), and better health behaviors are an important factor in reducing cancer deaths.

Personality also affects the prognosis of cancer patients

Depression is common among cancer patients, with a statistical rate ranging from 13-40%. Patients who are introverted, unsociable, sensitive, and neurotic are more likely to suffer from depression.

Depression can lead to decreased immunity. Depressed patients are more pessimistic about the treatment effects and are more likely to give up treatment. A meta-analysis of 76 prospective studies showed that depression was associated with a higher cancer mortality rate, which means that cancer patients with depression have poor treatment effects and worse prognosis. The study also found that for cancer patients with depression, simultaneous antidepressant treatment can enhance the effect of anti-tumor treatment and improve prognosis. This shows that in the process of cancer treatment, it is necessary to pay special attention to the occurrence of depression, and when early manifestations such as low mood, loss of interest, and fatigue appear, active intervention is required.

For patients, when they find depression tendencies early, they should seek help from doctors. Depression can be effectively controlled through pain control, psychological counseling, cognitive therapy, social and family support, and antidepressant drugs. On the contrary, people with extroverted personalities and stronger sense of responsibility have a more complete understanding of the disease, are more cooperative with treatment, and achieve better treatment results. Cancer is not only a pain for the patient himself, but also a huge setback for a family. The patient's correct attitude towards the disease is very important for family harmony.

Maintaining an optimistic and cheerful attitude is good for preventing any disease

Although there is no direct evidence to prove that "personality and cancer" are closely related, it is certain that negative emotions are harmful to health and have no benefits. The behaviors controlled by people with different personalities may play an important role in the occurrence and development of diseases.

For example: people need an outlet to vent their emotions. An extroverted and cheerful person may be able to digest his emotions by talking to friends, but an introverted person who likes solitude may not be able to withstand stress. In the process of seeking release and relief, they may be more likely to choose overeating, smoking and drinking than extroverted and cheerful people. These external factors do increase the risk of cancer.

Keeping an optimistic and cheerful attitude is good for preventing any disease. A positive attitude towards life will keep you in a normal and reasonable state of life. We must learn to stay optimistic, cheer up, be good at self-comfort and self-liberation. Avoid impatience, anger or depression.

In conclusion, current research does not support personality predispositions for cancer. But we know that different personalities will produce different perceptions of the disease, leading to different treatment effects. Although it is unfortunate to have cancer, a positive, optimistic, and more responsible personality will bring more warmth to those around you.

Text/Fat Bear Photos/Partially from the Internet (Please contact us to delete if there is any infringement) Review/Department of Oncology

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