NEL
VOL. 22 No. 3
Invited Review Article Full
text pdf
(169kb)
2001;
22:175-180 pii:
NEL220301R02
A
review on cancerpsychospiritual status interactions by Paolo Lissoni, Pino Cangemi, Domenico Pirato, Maria
Grazia Roselli, Franco Rovelli, Fernando Brivio, Fabio Malugani,
Georges JM Maestroni, Ario Conti, MoshÈ Laudon, Ola Malysheva
& Luisa Giani
With
the advances in the knowledge of neuroimmunomodulation, a
new era of investigations about the chemical basis of the
state of mind has been initiated. Both emotions and states
of spiritual consciousness may influence immune functions
and cancer growth. Stress, anxiety and depressive states are
associated with immunosuppression and enhanced frequency of
tumors. On the other hand, the states of sexual pleasure and
spiritual joy enhance the immune efficacy, by counteracting
tumor onset and dissemination. The biochemistry of pleasure
and immunostimulation is mainly mediated by pineal indoles
and cannabinergic substances, whereas that of stress, anxiety
and depression is associated with enhanced production of adrenal
steroids, opioids and catecholamines. The sexual repression
would allow a progressive immunosuppression through a profound
damage in the biochemistry of pleasure. Therefore, a better
definition of psychospiritual status-associated neuroimmunochemistry
could allow us to improve the immune dysfunction by acting
on the same neuroendocrine secretions which are involved in
mediating the psychic influence on the immunity, including
that against cancer.
