Piotr Wysocki recently shared on LinkedIn:

“A recent study published in Cancer Cell by Xue-Yan He, Mikala Egeblad et al. demonstrated that chronic stress in mice multiplies the risk of cancer metastases.

Using several animal models of breast and pancreatic cancers, the authors have demonstrated that:

• Chronic stress doubled tumor growth dynamics and increased lung metastasis 2- to 4-fold
• Chronic stress decreased infiltration of T cells, B cells, NK cells, and activated macrophages, and increased infiltration of neutrophils in tumor microenvironment
• Chronic stress shifted the normal circadian rhythm of neutrophils and caused increased neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation via glucocorticoid release
• Depleting of neutrophils abolished stress-induced metastasis
• Neutrophil-specific glucocorticoid receptor deletion abolished the impact of stress on NETs and metastasis

Cancer patients have many sources of severe, chronic stress, which is known to affect memory, cognition, and behavior, as well as whole-body homeostasis, including the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and immune systems.

The study of He X-Y et al. demonstrates that chronic stress can also negatively impact the cancer prognosis by directly increasing the risk of metastasis and subsequently decreasing cancer-specific survival. The study proves that glucocorticoids released during chronic stress cause neutrophil extracellular trap formation and establish a metastasis-promoting microenvironment.

This study further underscores the role of proper and intense psychological care in cancer patients, which may not only significantly improve their quality of life but also long-term outcomes.”

Chronic stress increases metastasis via neutrophil-mediated changes to the microenvironment

Authors: Xue-Yan He, Yuan Gao, David Ng, Evdokia Michalopoulou, Shanu George, Jose M. Adrover, Lijuan Sun, Jean Albrengues, Juliane Daßler-Plenker, Xiao Han, Ledong Wan, Xiaoli Sky Wu, Longling S. Shui, Yu-Han Huang, Bodu Liu, Chang Su, David L. Spector, Christopher R. Vakoc, Linda Van Aelst, Mikala Egeblad.

Source: Piotr Wysocki/LinkedIn

Piotr Wysocki leads the Clinical Oncology Department at University Hospital and the Faculty of Oncology at Jagiellonian University-Medical College in Krakow, Poland. As an advisor to the Polish Ministry of Health, he shapes the national cancer strategy.

His clinical expertise spans the systemic treatment of breast, gynecologic, and genitourinary cancers, with a focus on developing innovative metronomic chemotherapy-based therapies for advanced cancer patients who have undergone prior treatment.