Eudaimonic well‐being and tumor norepinephrine in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer

Abstract

Background The impact of psychological well-being on physiologic processes involved in cancer progression remains unclear. Prior research has implicated adrenergic signaling in tumor growth and metastasis. Given that adrenergic signaling is influenced by both positive and negative factors, we examined how two different aspects of well-being (eudaimonic and positive affect) and psychological distress were associated with tumor norepinephrine (NE) in ovarian cancer patients. Methods Women with suspected ovarian cancer (N=365) completed psychosocial assessments pre-surgery and clinical information was obtained from medical records. Study inclusion was confirmed following histological diagnosis. Tumor NE was measured in frozen tissue samples using HPLC with electrochemical detection. We employed confirmatory factor analysis to model eudaimonic well-being, positive affect, and psychological distress, and structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine associations between these factors and tumor NE. Results Eudaimonic well-being, positive affect, and psychological distress, modeled as distinct but correlated constructs, best fit the data (i.e., compared to unitary or 2-factor models) (RMSEA=.048, CFI=.982, SRMR=.035). SEM analyses that included physical well-being, stage, histology, psychological treatment history, beta-blocker use, and caffeine use as covariates had good model fit (RMSEA=.052, CFI=.955, SRMR=.036) and showed that eudaimonic well-being was related to lower tumor NE (β=−.24, p=.045). In contrast, we found no effects for positive affect or psychological distress. Conclusion Eudaimonic well-being is associated with lower tumor NE, independent of positive affect and psychological distress. Because adrenergic signaling is implicated in tumor progression, increasing eudaimonic well-being may improve both psychological and physiologic resilience in ovarian cancer patients.

Psychiatric comorbidities among ovarian cancer survivors in South Korea: A nationwide population‐based, longitudinal study

“…The previous studies confirmed that emotional intervention was related to prognosis in ovarian cancer . Also, ovarian cancer survivors receiving social support had lower tumor norepinephrine about tumor progression . In addition to ovarian cancer, stress management in breast cancer patients also suppressed the inflammatory reaction induced by anxiety …”

“…20 Also, ovarian cancer survivors receiving social support had lower tumor norepinephrine about tumor progression. 21 In addition to ovarian cancer, stress management in breast cancer patients also suppressed the inflammatory reaction induced by anxiety. 22 In the analysis of the prevalence of mental disorders according to age, each age subgroup showed a tendency to follow the overall result ( Figure 2B).…”

Quality of life among long-term survivors of advanced stage ovarian cancer: A cross-sectional approach

“…Previous work has highlighted biological pathways by which social support may mediate survival in ovarian cancer, including angiogenesis, invasion, inflammation, cellular immunity [32, 33] and transcriptional changes in the tumor genome suggestive of less pro-inflammatory and pro-metastatic signaling [34]. Moreover, ovarian cancer survivors with high levels of psychological well-being and/or social support have lower tumor norepinephrine [35, 36], a stress hormone shown to be linked.to tumor progression. These findings suggest the possibility that along with molecular and clinical determinants of long-term survival in ovarian cancer, biobehavioral factors may influence survival outcomes.…”

The potential disruption of estrogen and androgen homeostasis and adipocyte differentiation by metabolites of common airborne polychlorinated biphenyls

“…Cholesterol metabolism will produce pregnenolone, progesterone, deoxycorticosterone, corticosterone and aldosterone. Pregnenolone is metabolically converted to 17-OH pregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone [125]. Pregnenolone is metabolized further to progesterone, which is converted to 17-OH progesterone followed by formation of either androstenedione or 11-deoxycortisol.…”

“…We hypothesize that the OH-PCBs and PCB-Sulfates will inhibit SULT1E1 catalysis. The results may influence levels of active hormones estradiol and dehydroepiandrosterone [125] Overall objective of adipogenesis studies in immortalized human adipocytes. Our goal was to observe and measure the toxicity and effects of OH-PCBs before (1), during (2), and after adipocyte differentiation (3).…”