Can nervousness cause cancer?

I remember
reading that African American women have higher breast cancer rates than other
women, and the reason is constant worrying and stress from discrimination. I am
not African American or subject to discrimination but experience a lot of
stress. I have a weekly class where I have to get in front of the class to
speak, and I am severely nervous to the point where my heart is beating fast, I
am sweating, my stomach painfully churns, and my voice cracks. Can this constant
nervousness affect my health and increase my risk for getting cancer?
Stress can cause all sorts of health problems, and I guess that it might
increase your risk of getting some cancers. There's no hard evidence that it
does so though.

Good ways to reduce stress include getting enough sleep, getting regular
exercise, eating regular healthy meals, doing activities that relax you, doing
yoga and meditating.

It's also possible that the more you speak in front of your class, the less
nervous you'll be about it. I've heard that the one thing that people fear more
than death is public speaking - so it's very common and I'm sure that most of
the rest of your class feels the same way when they have to get up in front of
everyone.

There are public speaking courses you can take, which teach you techniques to
use to reduce nervousness.

So don't add to your stress by worrying about cancer - just live your life in
the healthiest way that you can xx
That type of nervousness will not cause cancer and i don't think is a type of
stress that can do that much harm. but a stress mixed with worry and supressed
anger is different one it can affect your immunce system making the body weaker
to defend against potentional illnesses. one fact is that when your worried and
stressed you lose apetite lose sleep energy levels drop. it produces
counterproductive results for you and for your body and health. as far as cancer
concerned cancer can affect anyone regardless they have stress or not.
not a proven fact just my opinion.
Very doubtful that nervousness or stress causes cancer . . if it did than all
the parents with children who are fighting or have died from cancer . . would be
getting cancer too. I cannot think of too many other things more stressful than
dealing with a child with cancer or a child dying from cancer.
Being nervous over your weekly class I would think wouldn't effect your health
in such an adverse way. BUT....constant stress can affect your immune system,
which in turn would not be efficient in fighting off disease.
Well, if you're making a speech once in a couple weeks you'll be fine. All
people have stress. If your life in general sucks then yeah :) And you'll live
less too, so relax.