Home → Lower Your Risk → Ask-the-Expert Conferences: Risk Factors → August 2005: Environmental Issues and Breast Cancer → Triggers for cancer to become invasive?

Triggers for cancer to become invasive?

Page last modified on: October 2, 2008

Question from Sue: I read that there is often a triggering event, or perhaps exposure/stress that gets the latent breast cancer to become invasive. Is that true?: Answers —Sue Heffelfinger, M.D., Ph.D.: By trigger event we mean an accident, some injury to the breast or other event. When breast cancer is diagnosed soon after that, it is really more related to the timing of seeing a doctor for the stressful event. The breast cancer just happens to be found by medical examination at the same time. There's probably not any biological reason that altered the rate of breast cancer development. There is data that suggests the immunosuppression related to stress can be a factor in cancer development. But having a stressful event per se will not cause a woman's breast cancer to suddenly become invasive.; Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H.: I think cancer development is so much more complicated than a stressful life event might indicate. The most recent studies looking at stress and breast cancer occurrence have indicated no connection. In other words, although minimizing stress in your life is good for other reasons, stress does not seem to be a contributing factor to breast cancer recurring.; Sue Heffelfinger, M.D., Ph.D.: My impression is that some stressful events make one more concerned about one's health in general, so women in those circumstances may then discover a cancer.

On Wednesday, August 17, 2005, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Environmental Issues and Breast Cancer. Devra Lee Davis, Ph.D., M.P.H., Sue Heffelfinger, M.D., Ph.D., and moderator Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. answered your questions about which environmental hazards may increase your risk for breast cancer and how you can reduce them in the home and workplace.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Devra Lee Davis, Ph.D., MPH Devra Lee-Davis, Ph.D., M.P.H. directs the Environmental Oncology Center at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute.

Sue Heffelfinger, M.D., Ph.D. is director of an NIH Center for Breast Cancer and the Environment at the University of Cincinnati and also associate professor in the department of pathology and laboratory medicine.

Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. is a medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of breast cancer, with a a special interest in cancer survivorship, patient-physician communication, and quality of care for women with breast cancer.