Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center scientists have found that stress can speed up the onset of skin cancer in mice.

Their study shows that mice exposed to stressful conditions and cancer-causing UV light developed skin cancers in less than half the time it took for non-stressed mice to grow tumors.

The investigators say that if what they are seeing in mice has relevance in man, stress-reducing programs like yoga and meditation may help those at high risk for skin cancer stay healthy longer.

Johns Hopkins Medicine news release