Table 1.
The mechanisms of chronic stress promoting cancer and corresponding targets and drugs.
| Cancer type | Mechanisms | The process of cancer | Targets | Drugs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breast cancer | Stress-catecholamines-ADRB2–LDHA-SLUG-stem-like properties | Proliferation Differentiation |
LDHA | Vitamin C |
| Stress-CRF-FAK phosphorylation, actin filament reorganization, prostaglandins | Invasion | CRF | Antalarmin | |
| Stress-glucocorticoids-glucocorticoid receptors-up-regulation of ROR1 | Metastasis | ROR1 | ||
| Stress restructures lymphatic networks within and around tumors | Metastasis | VEGFC | αVEGFC | |
| Stress activates COX-2/PGE2 system to affect the tumor microenvironment, including the induction of VEGFC production | Invasion Metastasis Angiogenesis |
COX2 | COX2i | |
| Stress-isoproterenol-ADRB2-upregulate the expression of CCL2 in pulmonary stromal cells and CCR2 in monocytes/macrophages | Metastasis | ADRB2 | Propranolol | |
| Gastric cancer | Stress-norepinephrine-ADRB2-adenosine 5′ monophosphate activated protein kinase unc 51 like autophagy activating kinase 1 (AMPK ULK1) pathway | Proliferation | ADRB2 | β-blockers |
| Stress-catecholamines-ADRB2-expression of VEGF, MMP-2, MMP-7, and MMP-9 | Invasion Metastasis Angiogenesis |
ADRB2 | β-blockers (propranolol, ICI118,551) |
|
| Lung cancer | Stress-induced glucocorticoid surge and Tsc22d3 upregulation block the activation of type I IFN response in DCs and the IFN-γ+ T cells | Proliferation | ||
| Stress-norepinephrine-ADRB2-PKA-voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCC)-activation of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1R | Metastasis | ADRB2 VDCC |
CCBs (amlodipine, nifedipine) |
|
| Prostate cancer | Stress-catecholamines-ADRB2-alter of endothelial cell metabolism | Angiogenesis | ADRB2 | β-blockers |
| Stress-epinephrine-ADRB2-PKA-BAD | Apoptosis | ADRB2 | β-blockers | |
| PKA | PKI | |||
| BAD | BADS112A | |||
| Colon cancer | Stress activates COX-2/PGE2 system to affect the tumor microenvironment, including the induction of VEGFC production | Invasion Metastasis Angiogenesis |
COX2 | COX2i |
| Stress-induced glucocorticoid surge and Tsc22d3 upregulation block the activation of type I IFN response in DCs and the IFN-γ+ T cells | Proliferation | |||
| Skin cancer | Stress suppresses type 1 cytokines and protective T cells and increases the number of regulatory/inhibitory T cells | Proliferation | ||
| Pancreatic cancer | Stress-catecholamines-ADRB2-expression of invasive genes | Invasion Metastasis |
ADRB2 | β-blockers |