Childhood Neglect And Skin Cancer?

According to a new report in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry, early childhood abuse and neglect may raise the risk for recurring skin cancer later in life. Researchers propose that maltreatment by parents may actually trigger a lowered immune response that lasts a lifetime. This may make a person more susceptible to cancers that are often successfully fought off by the immune system, including the most common form of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma.


The study demonstrated that of 91 people with a history of basal cell skin cancer, those who said they were mistreated by their mom or dad as kids were at a much greater risk for a second skin cancer when faced with a major stressful event. They also had a less intense immune reaction to their cancers. The work was funded by the U.S. National Cancer Institute.