Interaction Between Psychoneuroimmunology, Stress, and Cancer in Adults
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.rp.e354500Keywords:
cancer, psychoneuroimmunology, stress, immune system, neuroendocrine systemAbstract
This text outlines the systematic review process conducted to examine the interaction between psychoneuroimmunology, stress, and cancer. Following the PRISMA methodology, an 11-year observation window was established (2013-2023), and searches were conducted in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The initial search identified 621 articles; after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 46 studies were selected for final analysis. The reviewed literature highlights how emotions, along with the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems, influence the body’s overall functioning. The findings also describe intervention models that help mitigate adverse effects emerging from this interaction. Additionally, most studies focused on breast cancer, revealing a research gap that underscores the need for future studies exploring other cancer types from an interdisciplinary psychoneuroimmunological perspective.
Downloads
References
Ahsan, M. R., Mahmud-Al-Rafat, A., Sobhani, M. y Molla, M. A. W. (2013). Biomolecular Basis of the Role of Chronic Psychological Stress Hormone “Glucocorticoid” in Alteration of Cellular Immunity During Cancer. Memo – Magazine of European Medical Oncology, 6(2), 127-136. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12254-013-0075-y
Álvarez, H. A. O., Kubzansky, L. D., Campen, M. J. y Slavich, G. M. (2018). Early Life Stress, air Pollution, Inflammation, and Disease: An Integrative Review and Immunologic Model of Social-Environmental Adversity and Lifespan Health. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 92, 226-242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.06.002
Antoni, M. H. y Dhabhar, F. S. (2019). Impact of Psychosocial Stress and Stress Management on Immune Responses in Cancer Patients. Cancer, 125(9), 1417-1431. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.31943
Atanacković, D., Nowottne, U., Freier, E., Weber, C. S., Meyer, S., Bartels, K., Hildebrandt, Y., Cao, Y., Kröger, N., Brunner-Weinzierl, M. C., Bokemeyer, C. y Deter, H. (2013). Acute Psychological Stress Increases Peripheral Blood CD3+CD56+ Natural Killer T Cells in Healthy Men: Possible Implications for the Development and Treatment of Allergic and Autoimmune Disorders. Stress, 16(4), 421-428. https://doi.org/10.3109/10253890.2013.777702
Bachen, E., Cohen, S. y Marsland, A. L. (2001). Psychoneuroimmunology. Cambridge University Press eBooks, 167-172. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511543579.036
Barrientos, R., Brunton, P., Lenz, K., Pyter, L. y Spencer, S. (2019). Neuroimmunology of the Female Brain Across the Lifespan: Plasticity to Psychopathology. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 79, 39-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2019.03.010
Batty, G. D., Russ, T. C., Stamatakis, E. y Kivimäki, M. (2017). Psychological Distress in Relation to Site-Specific Cancer Mortality: Pooling of Unpublished Data from 16 Prospective Cohort Studies. BMJ, 356, j108. https://www.bmj.com/content/356/bmj.j108
Borniger, J. C. (2021). Cancer as a Tool for Preclinical Psychoneuroimmunology. Brain Behavior, & Immunity – Health, 18, 100351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100351
Boyle, C. C., Cole, S. W., Dutcher, J. M., Eisenberger, N. I. y Bower, J. E. (2019). Changes in Eudaimonic Well-Being and the Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity in Younger Breast Cancer Survivors. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 103, 173-179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.01.024
Bower, J. E. (2019). The Role of Neuro-Immune Interactions in Cancer-Related Fatigue: Biobehavioral Risk Factors and Mechanisms. Cancer, 125(3), 353-364. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.31790
Bower, J. E., Ganz, P. A., Irwin, M. R., Castellon, S., Arévalo, J. y Cole, S. W. (2013). Cytokine Genetic Variations and Fatigue Among Patients with Breast Cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 31(13), 1656-1661. https://doi.org/10.1200/jco.2012.46.2143
Bower, J. E. y Kuhlman, K. R. (2023). Psychoneuroimmunology: An Introduction to Immune-to-Brain Communication and Its Implications for Clinical Psychology. Clinical Psychology, 19, 331-359. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-080621-045153
Bower, J. E., Radin, A. y Kuhlman, K. R. (2022). Psychoneuroimmunology in the Time of COVID-19: Why Neuro-Immune Interactions Matter for Mental and Physical Health. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 154, 104104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2022.104104
Brown, L. C., Murphy, A. R., Lalonde, C. S., Subhedar, P. D., Miller, A. H. y Stevens, J. S. (2020). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Breast Cancer: Risk Factors and the Role of Inflammation and Endocrine Function. Cancer, 126(15), 3396-3404. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.32934
Carroll, J. E., Van Dyk, K., Bower, J. E., Scuric, Z., Petersen, L., Schiestl, R., Irwin, M. R. y Ganz, P. A. (2018). Cognitive Performance in Survivors of Breast Cancer and Markers of Biological Aging. Cancer, 125(2), 298-306. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.31777
Chang, A., Sloan, E. K., Antoni, M. H., Knight, J. M., Telles, R. y Lutgendorf, S. K. (2022). Biobehavioral Pathways and Cancer Progression: Insights for Improving Well-Being and Cancer Outcomes. Integrative Cancer Therapies, 21. https://doi.org/10.1177/15347354221096081
Cooper, K., Campbell, F., Harnan, S. y Sutton, A. (2023). Association Between Stress, Depression or Anxiety and Cancer: Rapid Review of Reviews. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology, 16, 100215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2023.100215
Costanzo, E. S., Juckett, M. B. y Coe, C. L. (2012). Biobehavioral Influences on Recovery Following Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 30, S68-S74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2012.07.005
Cui, B., Peng, F., Lu, J., He, B., Su, Q., Luo, H., Deng, Z., Jiang, T., Su, K., Huang, Y., Din, Z. U., Lam, E. W., Kelley, K. W. y Liu, Q. (2020). Cancer and Stress: NextGen Strategies. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 93, 368-383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.11.005
Cvitanović, H., Milošević, M., Bukvić-Bešlić, I. y Lugović-Mihić, L. (2020). Determination of Psychological Stress, Serum Immune Parameters, and Cortisol Levels in Patients with Human Papilloma Virus. Clinical Therapeutics, 42(5), 783-799. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinthera.2020.03.017
Dai, S., Mo, Y., Wang, Y., Xiang, B., Liao, Q., Zhou, M., M., Li, X., Li, Y., Xiong, W., Li, G., Guo, C. y Zeng, Z. (2020). Chronic Stress Promotes Cancer Development. Frontiers in Oncology, 10, 1492. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2020.01492
Dehghan, M., Jazinizade, M., Malakoutikhah, A., Madadimahani, A., Iranmanesh, M. H., Oghabian, S., Mohammadshahi, F., Janfaza, F. y Zakeri, M. A. (2020). Stress and Quality of Life of Patients with Cancer: The Mediating Role of Mindfulness. Journal of Oncology, 2020, 3289521. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/3289521
Dantzer, R. y Kelley, K. W. (2016). Psychoneuroimmune Phenomena: Neuroimmune Interactions. En Springer eBooks (pp. 643-670). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3474-4_21
Fagundes, C. P. y Way, B. (2014). Early-Life Stress and Adult Inflammation. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 23(4), 277-283. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721414535603
Fagundes, C. P., Glaser, R. y Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K. (2012). Stressful Early Life Experiences and Immune Dysregulation Across the Lifespan. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 27, 8-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2012.06.014
Ganz, P. A., Petersen, L., Castellon, S. A., Bower, J. E., Silverman, D. H., Cole, S. W., Irwin, M. R. y Belin, T. R. (2014). Cognitive Function After the Initiation of Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy in Early-Stage Breast Cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 32(31), 3559-3567. https://doi.org/10.1200/jco.2014.56.1662
González-Díaz, S. N., Arias-Cruz, A., Elizondo-Villarreal, B. y Monge-Ortega, O. P. (2017). Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology: Clinical Implications. World Allergy Organization Journal, 10(19). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40413-017-0151-6
Grassi, L., Caruso, R., Riba, M. B., Lloyd-Williams, M., Kissane, D., Rodin, G., McFarland, D., Campos-Ródenas, R., Zachariae, R., Santini, D. y Ripamonti, C. I. (2023). Anxiety and Depression in Adult Cancer Patients: Impact on Quality of Life, Treatment Adherence, and Prognosis. ESMO Open, 8(2), 101155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esmoop.2023.101155
Hernández-García, E., Chrysikou, E. y Kalea, A. Z. (2021). The Interplay Between Housing Environmental Attributes and Design Exposures and Psychoneuroimmunology Profile: An Exploratory Review and Analysis Paper in the Cancer Survivors’ Mental Health Morbidity Context. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(20), 10891. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010891
Hulett, J. M. y Armer, J. M. (2016). A Systematic Review of Spiritually Based Interventions and Psychoneuroimmunological Outcomes in Breast Cancer Survivorship. Integrative Cancer Therapies, 15(4), 405-423. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534735416636222
Irwin, M. R., Olmstead, R. G., Carrillo, C., Sadeghi, N., Nicassio, P. M., Ganz, P. A. y Bower, J. E. (2017). Tai Chi Chih Compared with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Randomized, Partially Blinded, Noninferiority Trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 35(23), 2656-2665. https://doi.org/10.1200/jco.2016.71.0285
Jaremka, L. M., Glaser, R., Malarkey, W. B. y Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K. (2013). Marital Distress Prospectively Predicts Poorer Cellular Immune Function. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 38(11), 2713-2719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.06.031
Kinney, A. Y., Blair, C. K., Guest, D. D., Ani, J. K., Harding, E. M., Amorim, F., Boyce, T., Rodman, J., Ford, C. G., Schwartz, M., Rosenberg, L., Foran, O., Gardner, J., Lin, Y., Arap, W. e Irwin, M. R. (2019). Biobehavioral Effects of Tai Chi Qigong in Men with Prostate Cancer: Study Design of a Three-Arm Randomized Clinical Trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 16, 100431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conctc.2019.100431
Kim, T., Gill, N. K., Nyberg, K. D., Nguyen, A. V., Hohlbauch, S. V., Geisse, N. A., Nowell, C. J., Sloan, E. K. y Rowat, A. C. (2016). Cancer Cells Become Less Deformable and More Invasive with Activation of β-Adrenergic Signaling. Journal of Cell Science, 129(24), 4563-4575. https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.194803
Kim, Y. (2022). The Impact of Depression on Quality of Life in Caregivers of Cancer Patients: A Moderated Mediation Model of Spousal Relationship and Caring Burden. Current Oncology, 29(11), 8093-8102. https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol29110639
Knight, J. M., Lyness, J. M., Sahler, O. J. Z., Liesveld, J. L. y Moynihan, J. A. (2013). Psychosocial Factors and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: Potential Biobehavioral Pathways. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 38(11), 2383-2393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.06.016
Li, P., Huang, J., Wu, H., Fu, C., Li, Y. y Qiu, J. (2016). Impact of Lifestyle and Psychological Stress on the Development of Early Onset Breast Cancer. Medicine, 95(50), e5529. https://doi.org/10.1097/md.0000000000005529
Liu, Y., Tian, S., Ning, B., Huang, T., Li, Y. y Wei, Y. (2022). Stress and Cancer: The Mechanisms of Immune Dysregulation and Management. Frontiers in Immunology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1032294
López-Júnior, L. C., Tuma, M. C. y Amorim, M. H. C. (2021). Psiconeuroinmunología y enfermería oncológica: un estudio teórico. Revista de la Facultad de Enfermería de la Universidad de São Paulo, 55. https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-220x-reeusp-2021-0159
McDonald, P. G., O’Connell, M. y Lutgendorf, S. K. (2013). Psychoneuroimmunology and Cancer: A Decade of Discovery, Paradigm Shifts, and Methodological Innovations. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 30, S1-S9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2013.01.003
Mravec, B., Tibenský, M. y Horváthová, L. (2018). Psychoneuroimmunology of Cancer – Recent Findings and Perspectives. Klinicka Onkologie, 31(5). https://doi.org/10.14735/amko2018345
Mravec, B. (2022). Neurobiology of Cancer: Definition, Historical Overview, and Clinical Implications. Cancer Medicine, 11(2), 4488. https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.4488
Messina, G., Lissoni, P., Lissoni, A. y Franco, R. (2017). The Psychoneuroendocrine-Immunotherapy of Cancer: Historical Evolution and Clinical Results. Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 22(1), 45. https://doi.org/10.4103/jrms.jrms_255_16
Miaskowski, C., Paul, S. M., Snowberg, K., Abbott, M., Borno, H., Chang, S., Chen, L. M., Cohen, B., Hammer, M. J., Kenfield, S. A., Kober, K. M., Levine, J. D., Pozzar, R., Rhoads, K. F., Van Blarigan, E. L. y Van Loon, K. (2020). Stress and Symptom Burden in Oncology Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 60(5), e25-e34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2020.08.037
Mohan, A., Huybrechts, I. y Michels, N. (2022). Psychosocial Stress and Cancer Risk: A Narrative Review. European Journal of Cancer Prevention, 31(6), 585-599. https://doi.org/10.1097/CEJ.0000000000000752
Moraes, L. J., Miranda, M. B., Loures, L. F., Mainieri, A. G. y Mármora, C. H. C. (2017). A Systematic Review of Psychoneuroimmunology-Based Interventions. Psychology, Health y Medicine, 23(6), 635-652. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2017.1417607
Morgan, N. L., Irwin, M. R., Chung, M. y Wang, C. (2014). The Effects of Mind-Body Therapies on The Immune System: Meta-Analysis. Journal Plos One, 9(7), e100903. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0100903
Organización Mundial de la Salud [OMS] (2022, 3 de febrero). Cáncer. https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer
Patel, S. K., Wong, A., Wong, F. S., Breen, E. C., Hurria, A., Smith, M., Kinjo, C., Paz, I., Kruper, L., Somlo, G., Mortimer, J. E., Palomares, M., Irwin, M. R. y Bhatia, S. (2015). Inflammatory Biomarkers, Comorbidity, and Neurocognition in Women with Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer. JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 107(8), djv131. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djv131
Roy, V., Ruel, S., Ivers, H., Savard, M.-H., Gouin, J.-P., Caplette-Gingras, A., Lemieux, J., Couture, F. y Savard, J. (2021). Stress-Buffering Effect of Social Support on Immunity and Infectious Risk During Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity – Health, 10, 100186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2020.100186
Schubert, C., Ott, M., Hannemann, J., Singer, M., Bliem, H. R., Fritzsche, K., Burbaum, C., Chamson, E. y Fuchs, D. (2021). Dynamic Effects of CAM Techniques on Inflammation and Emotional States: An Integrative Single-Case Study on a Breast Cancer Survivor. Integrative Cancer Therapies, 20. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534735420977697
Song, H., Saito, E., Sawada, N., Abe, S. K., Hidaka, A., Shimazu, T. Inoue, M. (2017). Perceived Stress Level and Risk of Cancer Incidence in a Large Cohort: The Japan Public Health Center (JPHC)-Based Prospective Study. Scientific Reports, 7, 12964. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-13362-8
Subnis, U. B., Starkweather, A. R., McCain, N. L. y Brown, R. F. (2013). Psychosocial Therapies for Patients with Cancer. Integrative Cancer Therapies, 13(2), 85-104. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534735413503548
Taylor, M. R., Knight, J. M. y Rosenberg, A. R. (2021). The Biology of Stress in Cancer: Applying the Biobehavioral Framework to Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Research. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity – Health, 17, 100321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100321
Urrútia, G. y Bonfill, X. (2010). Declaración PRISMA: una propuesta para mejorar la publicación de revisiones sistemáticas y metaanálisis. Medicina Clínica, 135(11), 507-511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medcli.2010.01.015
Vasileva, L. V., Ivanovska, M. V., Murdjeva, M. A., Saracheva, K. E. y Georgiev, M. I. (2019). Immunoregulatory Natural Compounds in Stress-Induced Depression: An Alternative or an Adjunct to Conventional Antidepressant Therapy. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 127, 81-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2019.03.004
Virago, M.-Ch. (2021). Art Psychotherapy and Public Health. Public Health, 196, 150-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2021.05.020
Vožeh, F. (2018). Immunity – a Significant Pathogenic Factor as Well as an Integral Part of the Psychoneuroendocrine Immune Regulations. Physiological Research, 67(2), 165-173. https://doi.org/10.33549/physiolres.933656
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Revista de Psicología Universidad de Antioquia

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Texts submitted for evaluation to the Journal of Psychology of the University of Antioquia must have never been published before, nor been accepted for future publication by any other journal.
Upon the Journal’s acceptance for publication of submitted material, the author partially transfers his/her rights on the article, preserving those relative to its non-commercial use and academic circulation as a free-access file.
Except if otherwise decided, this Journal’s content is covered by a Creative Commons licence “Attribution - Non-commercial – share a like” Colombia 4.0. The licence can be checked out here.


