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Links between inflammation, amygdala reactivity, and social support in breast cancer survivors.

ABSTRACT: Psychosocial stress can affect inflammatory processes that have important consequences for cancer outcomes and the behavioral side effects of cancer treatment. To date, however, little is known about the upstream neural processes that may link psychosocial stressors and inflammation in cancer patients and survivors. To address this issue, 15 women who had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and completed cancer treatment and 15 age- and ethnicity-matched women with no cancer history were recruited for a neuroimaging study. Participants provided a blood sample for levels of circulating inflammatory markers (CRP and IL-6), underwent an fMRI scan in which they completed a threat reactivity task designed to elicit activity in the amygdala, and reported their levels of perceived social attachment/support. There were no significant differences between cancer survivors and controls in levels of CRP or IL-6, in amygdala reactivity to the socially threatening images, or in levels of perceived social support. However, results showed a strong, positive correlation between CRP concentration and left amygdala reactivity in the survivor group that was not apparent in controls. Higher levels of social support in the survivor group were also associated with reduced amygdala reactivity and CRP. These data suggest the possibility of a stronger "neural-immune pipeline" among breast cancer survivors, such that peripheral inflammation is more strongly associated with neural activity in threat-related brain regions.

SUBMITTER: Muscatell KA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5784760 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Links between inflammation, amygdala reactivity, and social support in breast cancer survivors.

Muscatell Keely A KA Eisenberger Naomi I NI Dutcher Janine M JM Cole Steven W SW Bower Julienne E JE

Brain, behavior, and immunity 20150915

Psychosocial stress can affect inflammatory processes that have important consequences for cancer outcomes and the behavioral side effects of cancer treatment. To date, however, little is known about the upstream neural processes that may link psychosocial stressors and inflammation in cancer patients and survivors. To address this issue, 15 women who had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and completed cancer treatment and 15 age- and ethnicity-matched women with no cancer history we ...[more]

PMID: 26384778

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Project description:BackgroundBreast cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer among Asian American women. Chinese American immigrant breast cancer survivors face unique challenges because of cultural and socioecological factors. They report emotional distress and the need for social, emotional, and spiritual support. However, culturally and linguistically appropriate information for managing survivorship health care is often unavailable.ObjectiveTo improve the health outcomes for this underserved and understudied population, we developed, designed, and launched a randomized controlled trial to test the health benefits of a culturally sensitive social support intervention (Joy Luck Academy). In this paper, we describe the research protocol.MethodsThis randomized controlled trial will enroll Chinese-speaking, stage 0 to 3 breast cancer survivors who have completed treatment within the previous 36 months using a community-based participatory research approach. We will randomly assign 168 participants to the intervention or control group. The intervention arm will attend 7 weekly 3.5-hour peer mentor and educational sessions. The control group will receive the educational information. We will assess health outcomes at baseline, immediately after the Joy Luck Academy, and at 1- and 4-month follow-ups. The primary outcome is quality of life, as measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy scale. Secondary outcomes include depressive symptoms, positive affect, fatigue, and perceived stress. We will also explore how the intervention influences cortisol levels. To identify how and to whom the program is effective, we will measure social and personal resources and theorized mechanisms and perform qualitative interviews with a subsample of participants to enhance the interpretation of quantitative data.ResultsRecruitment began in February 2015, and data collection was completed in February 2019. We expect to complete data management by August 2021 and publish results in 2022.ConclusionsIf the Joy Luck Academy is demonstrated to be effective, it may be easily disseminated as an intervention for other groups of Asian American immigrant breast cancer survivors. Furthermore, similar programs could be integrated into other diverse communities.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02946697; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02946697.International registered report identifier (irrid)DERR1-10.2196/30950.

Dataset Information

Links between inflammation, amygdala reactivity, and social support in breast cancer survivors.

Publications

Links between inflammation, amygdala reactivity, and social support in breast cancer survivors.

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