Adverse childhood experiences, breast cancer, and psychotherapy

This study is based on 14 women's breast cancer autobiographies that mention adverse childhood experiences. Recent research has established that early trauma tends to be associated with long-lasting physiological deregulations such as an overactive fight-or-flight response and a weakened immune competence. Stress hormones, such as cortisol, play a crucial role in tumor genesis, therefore, a relationship between adverse childhood events and breast cancer can be hypothesized. However, successful psychotherapy combining a somatic technique and a talking cure can reverse the harmful effects of early adverse experiences through the epigenetic route.