Dr. Shraz Ben Ayad, a member of the executive office of the Tunisian Association of Oncology and vice president of the African Coalition for Comprehensive Women's Health Care in Oncology, confirmed that scientific studies have not yet proven that chronic stress and psychological pressures associated with life conditions represent a direct and sole cause of breast cancer in women.
Ben Ayad added in an interview with TAP (Tunis Afrique Presse) published today Monday in celebration of "Pink October": that stress has become a prominent feature of modern women's lives, turning into a chronic state for many amid multiple daily pressures, emphasizing the need to scientifically distinguish between stress as a psychological state and proven risk factors for breast cancer, as it does not alone constitute a sufficient cause for malignant tumors.
For her part, she clarified that continuous psychological pressure may affect sleep, physical activity, dietary habits, and weight, and may be linked to some harmful behaviors such as smoking, in addition to the interplay of genetic factors, which are elements that can in turn affect overall health and the risk of developing breast cancer.
She pointed out that breast cancer is not linked to a single factor, but results from the interplay of a group of factors, including age, genetic factors, reproductive and hormonal history, delayed first pregnancy, number of births, breastfeeding, physical activity, weight, dietary habits, as well as daily life conditions and psychological pressures.
Tunisia launched a new stage in breast cancer diagnosis through "telesonography," or remote breast imaging, during a study day held at the Association Hospital in Tunis in November 2025. Tunisia recorded 4,400 new cases of breast cancer during 2024, according to the coordinator of the National Cancer Control Program at the Ministry of Health speaking to TAP, with the disease representing about 30 percent of all cancers affecting women, making it the most common.
Breast cancer also constituted the fifth leading cause of death in Tunisia in 2021, with approximately 653 deaths recorded, equivalent to 2.6 percent of women's deaths, according to a report issued by the United Nations Population Fund in 2025.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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