Stress can act as catalyst for advances melanoma skin cancer, but commonly prescribes anti hypertensive drug may halt the disease and improves the health quality of the patient, study said.

In this study, researchers performed the lab test in which they exposed the specimens of three melanoma cell layers to norepineohrine (stress hormone) and analyzed the variation in the protein levels released by the cells. They observe the vascular endothelial growth factor that helps in the generation of new vessels and interleukin-6 & 8 (IL-6 and IL-8) that promote tumor growth.

The production of these hormones increased when the melanoma cell lines was interacted with stress hormone. In the most active form of the melanoma layer the IL-6 level was increased to 2,000 percents.

“These tests explain that stress can worsen the melanoma, in the advanced stages and that can raise the level of IL-6” researchers said.

Scientist found that the molecules of stress hormone bind on the receptors, present on the surface of the caner cells. Consequently, these stimulate the production of the pro-cancer proteins.

In the second phase, researchers observed that beta-blocker (a common anti hypertensive drug) notably reduce the release of IL-6 and other two proteins in melanoma cells. Beta blocker blocks the receptor on the surface of the cancer cell and unable the stress hormone to combine with cancer cell surface that ultimately reduces the progression of disease.

Approximately 50,000new cases of melanoma rare diagnosed in U.S, each year and eight thousand people diet of this disease each year according to American Cancer Society.