Seminar-Biobehavioral Influences on Cancer Growth and ProgressionBy Dr. Guillermo Armaiz

In this seminar, Dr. Guillermo Armaiz discussed how psychological factors such as stress, chronic depression, and lack of social support might promote tumor growth and progression. There are several problems attributed to behavioral influences, and many times we ignore that. Under chronic stress, the activation of pathways to fight stress negatively affects most organs because they are under extended exposure. Other behaviors associated with health problems are the suppression of negative emotions, feelings of hopelessness, and denial. I learned that short-term stress, for example, being in a fight or taking a test, is not harmful for our health. It is only when it is present for a long period of time that it is damaging (chronic stress). Cancer initiation and metastasis was also discussed in this seminar. I learned how cancer really works, how social problems might promote tumor growth and progression because of the stress hormones, and how the B-blockers have been shown to abrogate many stress effects on malignant tumor growth.Questions:

1. Why did the research group work with ovarian cancer?2. Where does ovarian cancer metastases? How is the chemical environment in that

places?3. How are people treated with B-blockers?