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YOU ALL are good for my health!!

Groovygirlcool
0 Recommendations

Hey FRIENDS -

'Are you lonesome tonight?' This morning? Anytime? Try not to be - it's bad for our health! I think we already knew this, but dudes/dudettes in white coats and a bunch of mice have proven it, we are people who need people:

"Social Isolation Worsens Cancer, Mouse Study Suggests"

ScienceDaily (Sep. 29, 2009) - Using mice as a model to study human breast cancer, researchers have demonstrated that a negative social environment (in this case, isolation) causes increased tumor growth.

The work shows for the first time that social isolation is associated with altered gene expression in mouse mammary glands, and that these changes are accompanied by larger tumors.

"This interdisciplinary research illustrates that the social environment, and a social animal's response to that environment, can indeed alter the level of gene expression in a wide variety of tissues, not only the brain," said Suzanne D. Conzen, MD, associate professor of medicine at the University of Chicago and senior author of the study, to be published on September 30, 2009, in Cancer Prevention Research.

"This is a novel finding and may begin to explain how the environment affects human susceptibility to other chronic diseases such as central obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, etc."

The research began six years ago when cancer specialist Conzen joined forces with biobehavioral psychologist Martha McClintock, PhD, professor of psychology and founder of the Institute for Mind and Biology at the University of Chicago, who has long been interested in the result of social isolation in aging, to study behavior and cancer in a mouse model.
The University of Chicago scientists took mice that were genetically predisposed to develop mammary gland (breast) cancer and raised them in two environments: in groups of mice and isolated. After the same amount of time, the isolated mice grew larger mammary gland tumors. They were also found to have developed a disrupted stress hormone response.

"I doubted there would be a difference in the growth of the tumors in such a strong model of genetically inherited cancer simply based on chronic stress in their environments, so I was surprised to see a clear, measurable difference both in mammary gland tumor growth and interestingly in accompanying behavior and stress hormone levels," Conzen said.

The researchers then turned their attention to how the chronic social environment affected the biology of cancer growth. In other words, they sought to discover the precise molecular consequences of the stressful environment.
To do this, they studied gene expression in the mouse mammary tissue over time. Conzen and her colleagues found altered expression levels of metabolic pathway genes (which are expected to favor increased tumor growth) in the isolated mice. This was the case even before tumor size differences were measurable.

These altered gene expression patterns suggest potential molecular biomarkers and/or targets for preventive intervention in human breast cancer.

"Given the increased knowledge of the human genome, we can begin to identify and analyze the specific alterations that take place in caner-prone tissues of individuals living in at-risk environments," Conzen said. "That will help us to better understand and implement cancer prevention strategies."

These findings do suggest novel targets for chemoprevention, according to Caryn Lerman, PhD, Scientific Director of the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and Deputy Editor of Cancer Prevention Research. "Future studies should evaluate whether these molecular processes can be reversed by chemopreventive agents."

The findings also support previous epidemiologic studies suggesting that social isolation increases the mortality of chronic diseases, as well as clinical studies revealing that social support improves the outcomes of cancer patients.

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health Centers for Population Health and Human Disparities; the University of Chicago Cancer Center's Women's Auxiliary Board; and the University of Chicago Cancer Center.
The paper is titled "A Model of Gene-Environment Interaction Reveals Altered Mammary Gland Gene Expression and Increased Tumor Growth following Social Isolation," and Cancer Prevention Research is published by the American Association for Cancer Research.
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I know you ALL are good for me - my health and my sanity!

xxxGGC

Explore topics in this discussion:

Cancer Counseling Diabetes Breast cancer Hypertension Pain Liver cancer Obesity Lung cancer Stress

13 replies

Beachbabe

I detected a great turn in my psyche after finding all of YOU. I no longer feel like a train with square wheels on the Island of Misfit Toys...I'm just part of the 'gang'. And the gang is filled with women of all shapes and sizes who are living through a hell that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy (not that I waste time on having enemies).

Today is Celebrate the Babes on Team Inspire in my book...wrap your arms around yourselves and consider yourself hugged by BeachBabe (aka Colleen) today!

XX00

darcey

Thanks GCC We can always rely on you to bring us the latest thinking and research.

I wonder if it's only being surrounded by the right sort of people which helps us keep happier and healthy. Some of us have to endure people we do not particularly wish to have in our life and have to take the good with the bad. That's life, is it not?

I don't allow my feelings to be brought down by negative and miserable people anymore.

Big hugs , smiles, prayers and thanks to you.

Darcey xx

Groovygirlcool

Indeed Miss Darcey, we do have to sometimes 'endure' and sometimes we don't!

The single best thing I did to improve my survival chances was leave my toxic marriage - 6 foot or so of stress disappeared from my life instantly!

You keep putting those 'negative and miserable people' where they belong - far away - even if it's only in mind and thought!

My life-enhancing/enriching loved ones are vital to me as any treatment, vitamin or drug - I couldn't do without them - that includes, OF COURSE, my online sisters!! (and the occassional brother!)

xxxGGC

sr2603

Very interesting news. Seems to make sense to me. Stress does seem to bring on a lot of medical problems.

I make a point of surrounding myself with the funniest and most positive people which of course includes all you hot cancer babes. I have finally realized in life I need to do what I want and not what other people want me to do and I certainly feel sooooooo much better for it. I dont have time for negative people who want me to do things there way or ask me stupid questions about my health.

texasdj

GGC, I also got out of a toxic marriage 20 years ago after spending 21 years in a verbally abusive relationship. It was during this time that I was diagnosed with breast cancer and I decided I wasn't going to live what was left of my life in misery. I did remarry a wonderful supportive man and we recently celebrated our 18th anniversary. My question is what do you do when the miserable, negative person in your life is your grown child who is the mother of your grandchildren?
Debbie

kleighk

Texasdj, I'm afraid that would be a hard pill to swallow. I'm very lucky that even though my daughter and I disagree on a lot of things, it has never gotten to the point of interfering with the relationship between me and my wonderful grandchildren.

I wholeheartedly agree that being around bummer people will bring you down like nothing else. Same as everyone else I surround myself with positive people.

Shanti

This research was in a show on PBS called Nova. The title of the show was, Ghost in Your Genes. it was all about what they were calling epi-genetics, which is how the environment can have more to do with a disease manifesting then the DNA.

I would highly recommend the show if you get a chance to watch it. They are also doing studies on twins where one gets a disease and the other doesn't. They were able to study their DNA and see these epi-genetic markers that were there in the disease manifesting twin and not there in the healthy twin. Then they destroyed these epi- markers in the sick twin and the disease went away.

Someday this will all be so easy. I love you guys too.

Terry

Groovygirlcool

Yes Shanti- Very interesting, if the show ever is on Oz tv I be sure to watch. I wonder if they referred to the

'Scandinavian Twin Study':

"For years, there has been a hot debate as to whether the cause of breast cancer is genetic or environmental. Then in 2000, Lichtenstein and his colleagues at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden published their study of 44,788 pairs of twins from the Swedish, Danish, and Finnish twin registries.

In this study, they looked at cancer risk with 28 different types of cancers and did statistical modeling of genetic and hereditary contributions in eleven different cancer types.

For breast cancer, they clearly showed that only 27% of breast cancers were due to genetic factors. This was an even lower hereditary component than other common cancers such as prostate and colorectal. "

(AND I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT SENTENCE HERE!!):
"This study and others have confirmed the fact that over 70% of breast cancers are influenced by environmental factors."

Day by day in every scientific way......we will have answers one day!

xxxGGC

from- http://www.articlerich.com/Article/Genetic-Risk-Factors-in-Breast-Cancer/57 7819

Deanie

Heather, thank you for the information. I think we kind of know the importance of positive interactions instinctively. It is just that when you have cancer, you value positive interactions so much more and don't have the patience for dealing with excrement :-D That is why I truly appreciate my Inspire.com sister-friends. Being able to be honest AND accepted despite the honesty is a major stress-reliever. Thank you to all of you!

Debbie, when it is impossible to avoid those negative people, it helps to make the encounter a private game. I imagine what negative response they will have and grade myself on predicting their responses. It makes it fun and funny. I also make a point of not feeding their negativity. They too often WANT an argument or to be right. I say nothing rather than try to talk sense to the senseless. They either get the point or they don't but they won't be able to get their jollies off of me. Ultimately, negative people are miserable and to be pitied.

gasketman

Groovygirlcool,

You are such an amazing research scientist and more knowledgable than most Doctors I have met.

Thank you for the tremendous amount of work that you do to educate us and keep us strong.

GOD BLESS

Scott

GRANDmother19

Dear dear Texasdj (might be a difficult read),

Don't ever tell your daughter that you did the very best that you could do - raising her. Odds are; you didn't. Look directly into her eyes, no matter how uncomfortable it feels and say, "I am so sorry for...." And with absolute sincerity be specific for "that time" in which you deeply hurt her heart. Unless she is a drug addict, the relationship can heal. But YOU gotta doctor-up the treatment plan; cancer and all. I know that you know, exactly what I mean. I am the mother of three grown "children." Your daughter will always be your child. And she has frozen needs, that only you can thaw. You are the mommy. No way around it Texasdj.

Don't hate me! I have a lot of nerve posting this response. But I gotta take a chance here. Don't die on her the way things are -

A brand new friend - I hope and pray! Or just some insensitive moron that may resemble a brand new bitch who barged uninvited into the very complicated, complex, & painful realationship between the mother and the grown-up little girl.

I mean well, dear Texasdj. Do not give me the power to ruin your day. My heart is in the right place. It's all I have - at nearly 8:00 A.M. (haven't been to bed yet)

You will remain in my thoughts. Please forgive me. I am clearly speaking from my own experience. And it was a win/win ending.

Lana

Reply

bellabella1234

Interesting, I raised my daughter alone (she was born and I never before had even held a baby and I was just 19) and I always said I did my best, but now that I am older, I could have done better if I was more mature, had had more money for enjoyable things, I did not even have a car or know how to drive! Oh, well, I will take your advice and try once again. I am bummed out over the metastatic breast disease-terminal, stage 4 and no knowledge of what will be next, lung cancer (when?), liver cancer (when) and brain cancer (ditto) as I go to work every day leaving at 6:30 get up at 5 and work all day with other hard working people and feel grateful to have a job as I do counseling etc. for people in financial trouble and I think at least I have no pain yet (to speak of), able to get up and go to work, have these neat online friends, have some friends in my area and think I am maybe going to last several years as I am so tough!.
ha, ha. what do you think of that! I take Zometa and Arimidex and my tumor markers have gone from 91 to 20 so I think that is good. bellabella1234

Groovygirlcool

You sound like you're doin' fine there Bella! I can barely open my eyes at 6:30am, let alone be leaving the house for the day!!

Keep on keeping on! xxxGGC

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