VEGFA and neoplasm: Studies have shown that the activation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenocortical (HPA) axis is associated with reduced DNA repair mechanisms, accelerated tumor growth and angiogenesis via increased release of vascular endothelial growth factor and interleukin-6, invasion of malignant cells by an increased production of matrix metalloproteinases and also delayed wound healing (Antoni et al. 2006; Colon-Echevarria et al. 2019; Costanzo and Lutgendorf 2011; Dai et al. 2020).