A new research project led by the University of Brighton is investigating how psychological stress may impact the development and treatment of endometrial cancer.
The disease affects thousands of women across the UK each year.
With endometrial cancer rates rising, particularly among younger women, researchers at the University of Brighton are turning their attention to a little-explored area of cancer care: the connection between stress and tumour progression.
The new study, funded by the Sussex Cancer Fund, is titled Psychological Stress, Glucocorticoids and Gynaecological Cancers, and focuses on how stress hormones – particularly cortisol – may accelerate tumour growth, and how medications that alter the body’s response to these hormones, called glucocorticoid receptor modulators, could help counter this effect and enhance chemotherapy.
This innovative research aims to lay vital groundwork for future clinical trials exploring whether stress-reduction interventions could play a meaningful role alongside medical treatment in improving outcomes for patients living with endometrial cancer.
The project is being led by Professor Melanie Flint, a nationally recognised expert in stress and cancer biology at the University of Brighton and co-director of the Sussex Cancer Research Centre, alongside PhD student Sarah Becker from the university’s School of Apllied Sciences. Their work centres on how glucocorticoid signalling – triggered by the body’s stress response – may influence tumour behaviour and contribute to resistance against cancer therapies.
Professor Melanie Flint said: “With endometrial cancer rates on the rise, particularly among younger women, it is vital to understand how stress might influence the biology of these tumours. This research not only has the potential to inform future treatment strategies but also to improve quality of life by identifying the benefits of stress reduction interventions. We are immensely grateful to the Sussex Cancer Fund for supporting this important work.”
PhD student Sarah Becker said: “I’m focusing on how stress, via the glucocorticoid receptor, affects cancer growth and resistance to chemotherapy. My aim is to better understand the biological mechanisms behind these effects so we can ultimately inform treatment and care pathways for patients.”
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