Cancer fatigue and depression does not increase the risk

Fatigue and depression are not linked to an increased risk of cancer , according to a study published in the journal "Cancer" and that calls into question this belief .
The vital exhaustion , described as extreme fatigue , lack of energy , increased irritability and decreased morale , is a risk factor for heart attack and death from myocardial infarction.

Depressed mood has also often been blamed , at least in the scientific literature as a risk factor for cancer. But the data is much less evidence that in the cardiovascular field , the last two studies also failed to demonstrate a link between depression and cancer , said Corinna Bergelt , the Danish Institute of Cancer Society in Copenhagen.

With colleagues, it followed 8527 people aged 21-94 years to assess whether depressed mood and exhaustion predisposed to cancer development . Researchers have studied this for all cancers combined , those related to smoking , alcohol , viruses, and the immune system, as well as hormones.

The most exhausted individuals appeared like the behaviors that put them at greater risk of cancer, such as smoking and lack of physical activity, the authors note. Despite this observation , the latter , however, did not establish a link between severity of fatigue and increased risk of cancer . The most exhausted people have even a lower risk of all cancer sites combined , of tobacco-related cancers , viruses and the immune system. No significant association was observed between vital exhaustion and hormone-dependent cancers or alcohol related .

For the authors, "The results of this large prospective population-based study do not support the hypothesis that subclinical depressive mood ( subclinical ), measured by a questionnaire on vital exhaustion , increases the risk of cancer."