Cancer doctor says there's one 'symptom' she regularly notices in patients before diagnosis

A doctor has explained a 'common theme' she often observes in patients before they are diagnosed with cancer. Dr Leigh Erin Connealy, MD, took to TikTok to explain that stress could cause more damage to the body than people might realise.

Dr Connealy is the founder of the Center For New Medicine in Irvine, California, where she serves as Medical Director. She is also the author of The Cancer Revolution, a book that focuses on a 'ground-breaking program to reverse and prevent cancer'.

"A common theme I find in cancer patients regularly is that they have usually suffered some very stressful event," she explained. "It could be extreme work conditions, it may be a child, might be a parent, might be a divorce."

"But they usually have gone under some extreme stress, which we know affects the whole hypothalamic pituitary axis (HPA) and the cortisol production." The HPA serves as the primary system in our body for responding to stress, connecting how we perceive stress to physical reactions such as sweating and a faster heartbeat, reports the Daily Record.

Cortisol is a steroid hormone that is released into the bloodstream during times of stress. It's important to keep cortisol levels balanced for your overall health, as having too much or too little can result in a range of health problems.

"Extreme cortisol production contributes to the rate cancer grows and proliferates," Dr Connealy said at the end of her video, which has more than 2million views. In the caption, she noted: "New research suggests that high cortisol and stress hormones play a key role in the development of cancer, metastasis, and increase the risk of recurrence.

"An excess of these hormones may be directly carcinogenic by suppressing immune function,