Abstract
Psychosocial factors have been described as affecting cellular immune measures in healthy subjects. In patients with early breast cancer we explored bi-directional psycho-immune effects to determine whether subjective burden has an impact on immune measures, and vice versa. Patients (n = 239) operated for early breast cancer and randomized into International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG) adjuvant clinical trials were assessed immediately before the beginning of adjuvant treatment (baseline) and 3 and 6 months thereafter, at the beginning of the corresponding treatment cycle. Cellular immune measures (leukocytes, lymphocytes, lymphocyte subset counts), markers of activation of the cellular immune system (β2-microglobulin, soluble interleukin-2 receptor serum levels), and self-report subjective burden (global indicators of physical well-being, mood, coping effort) were assessed concurrently. The relationship between subjective burden and gradients of immune measures was investigated with regression analyses controlling for adjuvant treatment. There was a pattern of small negative associations between all variables assessing subjective burden before the beginning of adjuvant therapy with the gradients of the markers of activation of the cellular immune system and NK cell counts. In particular, better mood predicted a decline in the course of β2- microglobulin and IL-2r at months 3 and 6. The gradient of β2- microglobulin was associated with mood and coping effort at month 3. However, the effect sizes were very small. In conclusion, in this explorative investigation, there was an indication for subjective burden affecting and being affected by markers of activation of the cellular immune system during the first 3 and 6months of adjuvant therapy. The question of clinical significance remains unanswered. These associations have to be investigated with refined assessment tools and schedules.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 75-86 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Breast Cancer Research and Treatment |
| Volume | 87 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Sep 2004 |
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Keywords
- adjuvant treatment
- breast cancer
- burden
- distress
- psycho-immunology
- quality of life
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Oncology
- Cancer Research
Cite this
Does subjective burden of early breast cancer and its treatment affect immune measures during adjuvant therapy? / Sabbioni, Marzio E E; Bernhard, Jürg; Siegrist, Hans Peter; Schmitz, Shu Fang Hsu; Gertsch, Monica Castiglione; Thürlimann, Beat; Bonnefoi, Hervé; Perey, Lucien; Herrmann, Richard; Goldhirsch, Aron; Hürny, Christoph.
In: Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, Vol. 87, No. 1, 09.2004, p. 75-86.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Does subjective burden of early breast cancer and its treatment affect immune measures during adjuvant therapy?
AU - Sabbioni, Marzio E E
AU - Bernhard, Jürg
AU - Siegrist, Hans Peter
AU - Schmitz, Shu Fang Hsu
AU - Gertsch, Monica Castiglione
AU - Thürlimann, Beat
AU - Bonnefoi, Hervé
AU - Perey, Lucien
AU - Herrmann, Richard
AU - Goldhirsch, Aron
AU - Hürny, Christoph
PY - 2004/9
Y1 - 2004/9
N2 - Psychosocial factors have been described as affecting cellular immune measures in healthy subjects. In patients with early breast cancer we explored bi-directional psycho-immune effects to determine whether subjective burden has an impact on immune measures, and vice versa. Patients (n = 239) operated for early breast cancer and randomized into International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG) adjuvant clinical trials were assessed immediately before the beginning of adjuvant treatment (baseline) and 3 and 6 months thereafter, at the beginning of the corresponding treatment cycle. Cellular immune measures (leukocytes, lymphocytes, lymphocyte subset counts), markers of activation of the cellular immune system (β2-microglobulin, soluble interleukin-2 receptor serum levels), and self-report subjective burden (global indicators of physical well-being, mood, coping effort) were assessed concurrently. The relationship between subjective burden and gradients of immune measures was investigated with regression analyses controlling for adjuvant treatment. There was a pattern of small negative associations between all variables assessing subjective burden before the beginning of adjuvant therapy with the gradients of the markers of activation of the cellular immune system and NK cell counts. In particular, better mood predicted a decline in the course of β2- microglobulin and IL-2r at months 3 and 6. The gradient of β2- microglobulin was associated with mood and coping effort at month 3. However, the effect sizes were very small. In conclusion, in this explorative investigation, there was an indication for subjective burden affecting and being affected by markers of activation of the cellular immune system during the first 3 and 6months of adjuvant therapy. The question of clinical significance remains unanswered. These associations have to be investigated with refined assessment tools and schedules.
AB - Psychosocial factors have been described as affecting cellular immune measures in healthy subjects. In patients with early breast cancer we explored bi-directional psycho-immune effects to determine whether subjective burden has an impact on immune measures, and vice versa. Patients (n = 239) operated for early breast cancer and randomized into International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG) adjuvant clinical trials were assessed immediately before the beginning of adjuvant treatment (baseline) and 3 and 6 months thereafter, at the beginning of the corresponding treatment cycle. Cellular immune measures (leukocytes, lymphocytes, lymphocyte subset counts), markers of activation of the cellular immune system (β2-microglobulin, soluble interleukin-2 receptor serum levels), and self-report subjective burden (global indicators of physical well-being, mood, coping effort) were assessed concurrently. The relationship between subjective burden and gradients of immune measures was investigated with regression analyses controlling for adjuvant treatment. There was a pattern of small negative associations between all variables assessing subjective burden before the beginning of adjuvant therapy with the gradients of the markers of activation of the cellular immune system and NK cell counts. In particular, better mood predicted a decline in the course of β2- microglobulin and IL-2r at months 3 and 6. The gradient of β2- microglobulin was associated with mood and coping effort at month 3. However, the effect sizes were very small. In conclusion, in this explorative investigation, there was an indication for subjective burden affecting and being affected by markers of activation of the cellular immune system during the first 3 and 6months of adjuvant therapy. The question of clinical significance remains unanswered. These associations have to be investigated with refined assessment tools and schedules.
KW - adjuvant treatment
KW - breast cancer
KW - burden
KW - distress
KW - psycho-immunology
KW - quality of life
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=4544376367&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=4544376367&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1023/B:BREA.0000041584.53863.a7
DO - 10.1023/B:BREA.0000041584.53863.a7
M3 - Article
C2 - 15377853
AN - SCOPUS:4544376367
VL - 87
SP - 75
EP - 86
JO - Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
JF - Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
SN - 0167-6806
IS - 1
ER -