Stress Can Suppress Lymphoma Treatment
Does this apply to all types of treatment?
The research specifically looks at the patient response to immunotherapies, but other treatment methods such as chemotherapy also rely on the immune system to function. So decreased stress levels for all patients is optimal. "It is quite possible that by increasing the immune function in patients they will also respond better to some other therapies," said Mattarollo. As immune therapies have become more common and more widely available, PhD candidate Michale Nissen has emphasized the importance of discovering factors that play a role in their effectiveness. He said that, “The more we know, the better chance we have of designing them effectively and efficiently to work in cancer patients.” Researchers will soon be testing the combination of immunotherapies and blood pressure medications in animal models.
