In contrast, the association between stress and breast cancer GW786034 concentration occurrence is unclear, with several cohort studies demonstrating a positive association [5–8] but other studies showing no association [9, 10]. An important stress disorder, called striking life events, has been

classified as see more an acute anxiety disorder. This disorder is characterized by aversive anguishing experiences and physiological responses that develop after exposure to stressful life events, including change in marital status, such as separation, divorce, or widowhood; death of a spouse, child, or close relative; a friend’s illness; personal health problems; and change in financial status. This disorder has short-term features, distinguishing it from chronic or delayed-onset stress disorder [11–13]. A prospective cohort study found that chronic stressful life events in women were associated with an increased incidence

of breast cancer, with the latter due to chronic stress-induced inhibition of estrogen synthesis, thus explaining the increased incidence of breast cancer in women exposed to long-term high degrees of stress [8]. By contrast, no case–control or cohort study performed to date has assessed the correlation between NCT-501 mouse short-term exposure to stressful life events and the incidence of primary breast cancer. Conflicting results regarding the association between stressful life events and breast cancer may be due to differences in subject population, number of subjects, study type, and sample type. These findings suggested the need for a meta-analysis examining the relationship between striking life events and primary breast cancer incidence in women. Methods Purpose

A systematic review and meta-analysis of primary cohort and case–control studies addressed whether women exposed to stressful life events are at increased risk of developing breast cancer. Hence, the objective was to evaluate the association between striking life events and primary breast cancer in PD184352 (CI-1040) women. The use of human materials was approved by the Peking Union Medical College Hospital Medical Ethics Committee (No.S-406). Study identification and selection Eligible studies were identified by systematic computerized searching of the PubMed, Science Direct, Embase, and BMJ databases for relevant reports published from January 1995 to April 2012. The database search strategy used combinations of controlled descriptors from Mesh, including breast cancer, breast tumor, cancer of breast, mammary carcinoma, life events, life change events, case–control studies, case-base studies, cohort study, and cohort analysis. The reference lists of the retrieved articles were also reviewed to identify additional articles missed by this search.