Mind-body interactions in breast cancer : neuroendocrine and immune aspects of acute psychological stress and psychosocial intervention in breast cancer patients

The proposition that stress plays a role in the progression of breast cancer has been a source of inspiration for researchers to study the associations between psychological, neuroendocrine and immune parameters. Until now a number of shldies attempted to provide insight in the link between stress and breast cancer by correlating psychological strcssors with baseline endocrine and immune values. There is a growing literature supporting the notion that by using a reactivity model more reliable information can be obtained about the organizational level of the neuroendocrine system as well as the sensitivity of the immune system to the endocrine signals than by determining baseline values. However, apart from shldies that examined the alterations in neuroendocrine system and distribution and function of peripheral blood cells in breast cancer patients in rest, data from reactivity studies are scarce. The series of studies described in the first part of the present thesis were designed to investigate changes in cardiovascular, endocrine and immunological values in response to an acute stressor in breast cancer patients and to compare their responses with those of age-matched healthy women.

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