Cancer, stress and personality: a correlational investigation of life-events, repression-sensitization and locus of control.

This study investigated the hypothesis that stress-inducing life experiences and the personality factors of external locus of control and tendency to repress emotion are relevant in the aetiology of cancer. Fifty cancer patients scored higher than 50 matched controls on a life-events scale (especially negative events), but were found to be lower on repression of emotion. There was no difference between groups on locus of control.