India, Aug. 21 -- The news of 29-year-old entrepreneur Monika Choudhary has triggered a wave of concern online. In a heartfelt Instagram post (see inset), she shared how her once health-conscious lifestyle gave way to long working hours, stress, and burnout, until a devastating diagnosis of Stage 4 colorectal cancer changed everything. Decades of research have established that chronic stress triggers chemical changes in the body, such as raising blood pressure, hormone levels, and inflammation that may increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Now, cancer has emerged as a growing concern. The National Cancer Registry Programme Report 2020 had estimated that cancer cases would increase by 12.8% by 2025 as compared to 2020. Monika's experience has left many wondering: can stress and burnout really be this disastrous? "The evidence for a direct causal link is moderate at best," says Dr Amit Upadhyay, senior consultant of hematology and oncology, PSRI Hospital, adding, "Large studies show that chronic stress and burnout are associated with higher cancer incidence and worse outcomes, but they rarely prove that stress alone causes cancer. The strongest data support indirect pathways: stress can impair immune surveillance, increase inflammation, and promote behaviours that raise cancer risk. In short, stress is a meaningful co-factor rather than a sole cause." On the other hand, Dr Mandeep Singh, chief oncologist at Art of Healing Cancer, points to significant retrospective evidence. He explains, "Chronic stress creates hormonal imbalances and increased cortisol and cytokine release. While cortisol reduces immunity, cytokines drive inflammation and angiogenesis, which fuels metastasis. Together, these changes make people, sometimes even in their 20s and 30s, more vulnerable to cancer." Adding to this, Dr Sunny Jain, senior consultant and HOD of medical oncology, Accord Super Speciality Hospital, Faridabad, says that cancer in younger age groups is also on the rise due to lifestyle and environmental factors. "We are diagnosing more GI and lung cancers in people in their 20s and 30s. Risk factors include obesity, tobacco and alcohol use, smoked and processed foods, pollution, and radon exposure."...