The pain, depression, and fatigue symptom cluster in advanced breast cancer: covariation with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Neuroendocrine-immune models have been proposed to account for the frequent co-occurrence of pain, depression, and fatigue (PDF) among cancer patients.

Design

In a cross-sectional observational study of advanced cancer patients (N = 104), we tested the hypothesis that the PDF cluster covaries with proposed biological mediators: hormones of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

Main outcome measures

PDF symptoms were measured using the Brief Pain Inventory, Fatigue Symptom Inventory, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scales. HPA activation was indicated by plasma levels of cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone, and SNS activation was indicated by plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine.

SUBMITTER: Thornton LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2910549 | biostudies-literature | 2010 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature