Can stress cause cancer?

She said, “From a psychological standpoint, a little bit of stress is necessary and even healthy. There are external factors related to our immediate environment that causes stress, but when an individual’s perception of demands being placed on them outweighs their ability to cope, the situation is then deemed stressful.”

“Seriously, does a little bit of stress actually do good?”

“Yes!” she added, “‘Positive stress plays a major role in motivation, adapting to change, and reacting to often-unfamiliar environments. It is also known to help improve athletic performance. On the flip side, the temporary stress you feel during your daily commute or before making an important presentation is called acute stress. This usually subsides in a short while and is generally harmless to your health.”

When stress becomes a cause for concern – when it is persistent and lingers for weeks or even months. Chronic stress inhibits the body’s ability to fight disease and increases the risk of illnesses, some of which include:

1. Mental illnesses like anxiety and depression

2. Ulcers Gastrointestinal ailments

3. Strokes and heart attacks

4. Rheumatoid arthritis

5. Multiple sclerosis

6. Diabetics

7. Obesity

8. Cancer

Seeing the concern on my face, Seema added, “Don’t think too much about it. It is not stress itself that leads to an increased risk of illness or death. It is the permanent changes in your physiological, emotional, and behavioral responses that are the most likely to cause a medical condition.”

Intrigued, I started reading and here’s what I found out:

Our current lifestyle has led to a manifold increase in stress and stress-related issues, making us prone to different critical diseases; sometimes even at an early age.

Cancer is one of the most widespread, prolonged and expensive diseases caused by stress. Add to that the high costs of procedures and treatments, and you have a disease that imposes a huge financial burden on your family. Dealing with it can put an enormous dent in your savings.

Despite the tremendous investment in its early detection and treatment over the years, cancer remains one of the leading causes of deaths worldwide. Several factors contribute to the onset of cancer, including age, gender, and environment, which are beyond our control. Industry reports state that cancer is amongst the fastest growing critical diseases in India. There are over 1 million new cases every year and this number is expected to cross 1.5 million by 2030! ^* Thought-provoking, isn’t it?

However, a World Health Organization (WHO)^** study suggests that over 30% of cancer cases can be prevented by maintaining a healthy lifestyle or by immunization against cancer-causing infections like HBV and HPV. And since stress is also an important catalyst in the process, how you cope with it impacts your immune system and ability to heal.

This is when I decided to take preventive measures.

Seema, supportive of the positive steps I was going to take, gave me a few health and lifestyle tips. Choices that even you can easily make to reduce the risk of developing critical illnesses, including cancer.

Buying a cancer insurance plan is important because

1. Firstly, it covers you and your family in case of cancer detection or diagnosis

2. Secondly, it secures your finances and helps you deal with the financial burden of cancer treatment. Cancer insurance covers complete cost of treatment, and not just in-patient bills

3. Thirdly, cancer insurance plans are available at relatively low premiums.

As the number of people being diagnosed with some form of cancer is growing alarmingly fast, so is the cost of treatment. This is due to a mismatch in demand and supply. Testing and treatment infrastructure, R&D facilities, and the availability of paramedics are simply not keeping pace. In India, cancers are detected in their advanced stages because voluntary screening is low, even among the educated. The baseline cost is, therefore, very high.

Cancer insurance policies help against the erosion of personal savings, the derailment of future goals, and leaving households debt-ridden. This is exactly why a cancer insurance plan, one that covers all stages of cancers, becomes a necessity.

Like Seema said, “Cancer insurance helps you ease the burden of treatment expenses without compromising your family’s financial security.”

In India, cancer insurance generally covers expenses towards initial diagnosis, surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy, and experimental treatment. Polices pay a lump sum amount which can be used according to requirements. Certain plans even cover smokers.

Cancer insurance policies should be bought alongside a health insurance or family floater policy. Apart from direct cancer-related expenses, a cancer insurance plan can help you manage accommodation and other out-of-pocket expenses, up to a certain limit.”

Cancer and other critical illnesses cause a lot of distress. But smart planning can give you peace of mind and a better chance to fight the illness. Buy a cancer insurance policy now!