Cancer Patients Could Improve Condition With An Active Social Life

According to recent findings in a study that was performed at the Ohio State University, patients who have cancer may be able to improve their condition by changing their social lifestyle.

The study was conducted using mice with cancer. The mice were relocated from a small living environment with a small number of other mice to a larger living environment with many more mice. The improvement in the condition of the mice with cancer was astounding, with tumor sizes reduce by nearly 77% and some mice even becoming cancer free after three weeks.

With these experimental results, it suggests that if cancer patients became more socially involved with more people, their condition may have great improvements. The results also challenge the accepted belief that stress causes illness and suggest that stress can actually help the body ward off disease.

The professor who lead the experiment believes that doctors should be more aware of their patients living habits along with depending on traditional treatments. He also believes that it’s not about minimizing stress, but living a fuller, richer, more physical and social life that challenges individuals.

The tumor shrinkage was due to a large production of a certain protein that is related to stress. The protein helps stop the production of leptin, a hormone that enables the growth of tumors. With these new findings, the professor believes that a new medication could be developed that would provide the same results to reduce the levels of leptin and slow the tumor’s growth.