Socio-psychological risk factors for malignant neoplasms: relevance and prospects of the study

Tsiring D. A., Pakhomova Ya. N., Vazhenin A. V., Mironchenko M. N.

cancer is a disease that poses a threat to human life and health. There is no clear opinion on the influence of social and psychological factors on the development of cancer. This paper attempts to generalize and systematize the available data on the nature of malignant neoplasms. The analysis revealed that the most important psychosocial risk factors in the development of cancer are difficulties in expressing negative emotions, feelings of despair and helplessness in the face of difficulties, hopelessness as a specific reaction to stressful events, the presence of depressive states, increased levels of anxiety, the predominance of external locus of control and low significance of the value of health. Understanding the mechanisms of the impact of stressful events on the individual's psyche, studying the factors that influence the morbidity and survival of patients with cancer diagnosis, will help to identify the psychosomatic nature of the disease and show the existence of additional important predictors of survival of patients with malignant neoplasms.

Keywords:oncology, oncopsychology, malignant neoplasms, stress, difficult life situation.