Vulnerability to Stress-Induced Tumor Growth Increases with Age in Rats: Role of Glucocorticoids*

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Abstract
Aged male rats show a delay in terminating their adrenocortical stress response and, thus, hypersecrete corticosterone during the poststress period. Because of the numerous catabolic effects of corticosterone, chronic stress apparently should induce greater pathophysiological changes in aged than in young subjects. Stress-induced tumor growth, associated with inoculation with fetal rat cells transformed by tumor virus, is accelerated in aged rats. Furthermore, simulation of the aged pattern of corticosterone hypersecretion in young animals using steroid administration similarly accelerates stress-induced tumor growth.