Chronic Stress Promotes Tumor Progression and Metastasis: From Mechanisms to Therapeutic Strategies
10.3971/j.issn.1000-8578.2025.24.1078
- VernacularTitle:慢性应激促进肿瘤进展和转移的机制及其治疗现状
- Author:
Pan YU
1
;
Jialiang YAO
1
;
Jianhui TIAN
1
Author Information
1. Clinical Oncology Center, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine; Institute of Oncology, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China.
- Publication Type:REVIEWS
- Keywords:
Tumor;
Metastasis;
Chronic stress;
Immune;
β-adrenergic receptor;
Glucocorticoid receptor;
Therapeutic status
- From:
Cancer Research on Prevention and Treatment
2025;52(4):324-330
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Metastasis is a key cause of death in tumor patients, and a number of tumor patients have comorbid psychosomatic abnormalities and are in a state of chronic stress. Chronic stress affects the release of many kinds of hormones and neurotransmitters, such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, glucocorticoids, cortisol, sex hormones, etc., through the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis and sympathetic nervous system. These substances can act on the β-adrenergic receptor, glucocorticoid receptor, etc., on tumor cells, immune cells, and other cells in the tumor microenvironment and promote the tumor progression and metastasis by directly enhancing the invasive and metastatic ability of tumor cells, inducing the formation of the immunosuppressive microenvironment and promoting tumor angiogenesis and other pathways. Antipsychotic drugs, β-blockers, and glucocorticoid receptor antagonists have inhibitory effects on chronic stress-mediated tumor metastasis and have achieved certain clinical efficacy. Relevant studies have been carried out on traditional Chinese medicine decoctions and monomers, which can inhibit tumor metastasis by modulating the immune microenvironment and reversing chronic stress-mediated hormonal changes. The psychological problems of tumor patients have gradually received attention, and the development of new anti-metastatic drugs based on the mechanism of action of chronic stress in promoting tumor progression and metastasis provides new ideas for the improvement of the overall efficiency of tumor prevention and treatment.
