The effect of stress on the immune system in the course of tumor from the biomedical perspective

Psychoneuroimmunology studies the relationship between the psyche and the body from the point of view of the interactions between the nervous and immune systems. It also examines the influence of the experienced stress on a person’s state of health. The breakthrough leading to the emergence of this branch of science came with the medical discoveries of the 1960s which showed that the belief in an absolute independence of the immune and nervous systems had been erroneous and unsubstantiated. In the course of time, the knowledge of the interaction taking place between these two systems has been increasing. Lately, there has been a considerable increase in the interest in the issue of stress as a factor contributing to the emergence or development of numerous diseases through its negative impact on immunity. The present paper shows the interactions between the immune and nervous systems and presents the most recent scientific publications on the impact of stress on tumor development. Also, important issues connected with the methodology of the research on the role of stress in human immunological disorders are taken into account.