Trajectories of Stress, Depressive Symptoms, and Immunity in Cancer Survivors: Diagnosis to 5 Years.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Five-year disease endpoint trajectories are available for every cancer site. In contrast, there are few longitudinal, biobehavioral studies of survivors extending beyond the first or second year following diagnosis. This gap is addressed with stress, depressive symptom, and immunity data from breast cancer patients followed continuously for 5 years.

Experimental design

Women (N = 113) diagnosed and surgically treated for breast cancer and awaiting adjuvant therapy completed self-report measures of stress and depressive symptoms and provided blood for immune assays [natural killer cell cytotoxicity (NKCC) and T-cell blastogenesis]. Assessments (N = 12) were repeated every 4 to 6 months for 5 years.

Results

Multiphase linear mixed models show phases of change an

SUBMITTER: Andersen BL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5217183 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature