Journal article
Diurnal cortisol rhythms, fatigue and psychosocial factors in five-year survivors of ovarian cancer
Psychoneuroendocrinology, Vol.84, pp.139-142
10/2017
DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.06.019
PMCID: PMC5575993
PMID: 28711723
Abstract
•Diurnal cortisol slopes are related to fatigue in 5-year ovarian cancer survivors.•Lifetime stress and social attachment are associated with diurnal cortisol slopes.•Psychosocial factors may impact vulnerability to HPA-axis dysregulation in survivors. Fatigue is a challenge in ovarian cancer survivorship and greatly impacts quality of life. In other cancer populations, fatigue has been associated with abnormal diurnal cortisol patterns. However, little is known about biological and behavioral factors in 5+-year ovarian cancer survivors and potential mechanisms underlying persistent fatigue have not been investigated in this population. Moreover, relationships between neuroendocrine and psychosocial factors in 5+-year ovarian cancer survivors have not been studied. We addressed these issues by examining relationships between diurnal cortisol rhythms, fatigue, life stress, and social support in 30 survivors of ovarian cancer who were assessed at least 5 years (mean=6.20years) following their primary diagnosis. Flatter diurnal cortisol slopes were associated with higher levels of fatigue, suggesting a role for HPA-axis dysregulation in sustained fatigue experienced by survivors. Moreover, greater cumulative lifetime stressor exposure (p=0.023) and stressor severity (p=0.004) were associated with flatter diurnal cortisol slopes, while higher social attachment (p=0.001) was associated with steeper diurnal cortisol slopes. These findings suggest that ovarian cancer survivors with greater lifetime stress exposure or lower social attachment may be at increased risk for circadian rhythm disruption, which in turn is associated with fatigue. Future research should examine relationships of clinical stage and inflammatory cytokines to cortisol rhythms and fatigue in long-term ovarian cancer survivors, as well as investigating the clinical significance of abnormal diurnal cortisol profiles in this population.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Diurnal cortisol rhythms, fatigue and psychosocial factors in five-year survivors of ovarian cancer
- Creators
- Michaela G Cuneo - Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, W322 Seashore Hall Iowa City, IA, 52242, United StatesAndrew Schrepf - Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center and Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, 24 Frank Lloyd Wright Dr., Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, United StatesGeorge M Slavich - Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology and Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA Medical Plaza 300, Room 3156, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7076, USAPremal H Thaker - Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University St. Louis School of Medicine, 660 S Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110, United StatesMichael Goodheart - Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Iowa, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA, 52242, United StatesDavid Bender - Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Iowa, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA, 52242, United StatesSteve W Cole - Department of Medicine Division of Hematology/Oncology and Molecular Biology Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United StatesAnil K Sood - Departments of Gynecologic Oncology, Cancer Biology and Center for RNA Interference and Noncoding RNA, University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030, United StatesSusan K Lutgendorf - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Psychoneuroendocrinology, Vol.84, pp.139-142
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.06.019
- PMID
- 28711723
- PMCID
- PMC5575993
- NLM abbreviation
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- ISSN
- 0306-4530
- eISSN
- 1873-3360
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000002, name: National Institutes of Health, award: T32 GM108540, CA193249, CA140933, CA104825, CA109298
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 10/2017
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Obstetrics and Gynecology; Urology
- Record Identifier
- 9983930516202771
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