scholarly journals The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological stress in breast cancer patients

BMC Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Catharina Bartmann ◽  
Leah-Maria Fischer ◽  
Theresa Hübner ◽  
Max Müller-Reiter ◽  
Achim Wöckel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Psychological Stress ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Life Quality ◽  
Breast Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Female Breast Cancer ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
European Organization

Abstract Background The majority of breast cancer patients are severely psychologically affected by breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent therapeutic procedures. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions on public life have additionally caused significant psychological distress for much of the population. It is therefore plausible that breast cancer patients might be particularly susceptible to the additional psychological stress caused by the pandemic, increasing suffering. In this study we therefore aimed to assess the level of psychological distress currently experienced by a defined group of breast cancer patients in our breast cancer centre, compared to distress levels pre-COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Female breast cancer patients of all ages receiving either adjuvant, neoadjuvant, or palliative therapies were recruited for the study. All patients were screened for current or previous COVID-19 infection. The participants completed a self-designed COVID-19 pandemic questionnaire, the Stress and Coping Inventory (SCI), the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) Distress Thermometer (DT), the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ C30, and the BR23. Results Eighty-two breast cancer patients were included. Therapy status and social demographic factors did not have a significant effect on the distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the DT pre and during COVID-19 pandemic did not differ significantly. Using the self-designed COVID-19 pandemic questionnaire, we detected three distinct subgroups demonstrating different levels of concerns in relation to SARS-CoV-2. The subgroup with the highest levels of concern reported significantly decreased life quality, related parameters and symptoms. Conclusions This monocentric study demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected psychological health in a subpopulation of breast cancer patients. The application of a self-created “COVID-19 pandemic questionnaire” could potentially be used to help identify breast cancer patients who are susceptible to increased psychological distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and therefore may need additional intensive psychological support. Trial registration DRKS-ID: DRKS00022507.

Treatment disparities in female breast cancer patients according to race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher S. Bartlett ◽  
Tulay Koru-Sengul ◽  
Feng Miao ◽  
Stacey L. Tannenbaum ◽  
David J. Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Female Breast Cancer ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Female Breast ◽  
Treatment Disparities ◽  
Race Ethnicity

scholarly journals Serum Long Non-Coding RNAs PVT1, HOTAIR, and NEAT1 as Potential Biomarkers in Egyptian Women with Breast Cancer

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 301
Author(s):  
Amal Ahmed Abd El-Fattah ◽  
Nermin Abdel Hamid Sadik ◽  
Olfat Gamil Shaker ◽  
Amal Mohamed Kamal ◽  
Nancy Nabil Shahin
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Breast Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression ◽  
Expression Levels ◽  
Non Coding Rnas ◽  
Pai 1

Long non-coding RNAs play an important role in tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis in several types of cancer. However, the clinical significance of using lncRNAs as biomarkers for breast cancer diagnosis and prognosis is still poorly investigated. In this study, we analyzed the serum expression levels of lncRNAs PVT1, HOTAIR, NEAT1, and MALAT1, and their associated proteins, PAI-1, and OPN, in breast cancer patients compared to fibroadenoma patients and healthy subjects. Using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), we compared the serum expression levels of the four circulating lncRNAs in patients with breast cancer (n = 50), fibroadenoma (n = 25), and healthy controls (n = 25). The serum levels of PAI-1 and OPN were measured using ELISA. Receiveroperating-characteristic (ROC) analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used to evaluate the diagnostic value of the selected parameters. The serum levels of HOTAIR, PAI-1, and OPN were significantly higher in breast cancer patients compared to controls and fibroadenoma patients. The serum level of PVT1 was significantly higher in breast cancer patients than in the controls, while that of NEAT1 was significantly lower in breast cancer patients compared to controls and fibroadenoma patients. Both ROC and multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that PAI-1 has the greatest power in discriminating breast cancer from the control, whereas HOTAIR, PAI-1, and OPN have the greatest power in discriminating breast cancer from fibroadenoma patients. In conclusion, our data suggest that the serum levels of PVT1, HOTAIR, NEAT1, PAI-1, and OPN could serve as promising diagnostic biomarkers for breast cancer.

scholarly journals Study of Gene Expression of Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) in Breast Cancer Patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 107 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 2-2
Author(s):  
H Gadelrab ◽  
M Mokhtar ◽  
H Morsy ◽  
M Elnaggar
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Programmed Cell Death ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Therapeutic Response ◽  
Female Breast Cancer ◽  
Clinicopathological Parameters ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Expression Levels ◽  
Female Breast

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most frequently occurring cancer among females and the second most common cancer overall. Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) plays an important role in blocking ‘cancer-immunity cycle’ and is considered as a major inhibitory pathway. The aim of the present study was to clarify the alterations of expression of PD-L1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cytes (PBMCs) of female breast cancer patients and analyze its association with clinico-pathological criteria as well as therapeutic response. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 45 female breast cancer patients and 45 female controls. Blood samples were collected followed by PBMCs isolation, total RNA extraction, reverse transcription and finally, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) using SYBR Green DNA binding dye. Expression levels of PD-L1 were calculated and then compared with clinicopathological parameters of the patients in addition to initial therapeutic response. Results: A significant difference was detected for PD-L1 expression levels in breast cancer patients compared to controls. A significant association with age, metastatic breast cancer, estrogen receptor (ER) negative status as well as high concentrations of cancer antigen 15-3 (CA15-3) was detected. On the other hand, no significant association was recognized with tumor size, lymph nodal status, histopathological type, grade, progesterone receptor (PR) status, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) status, triple negative, among de novo and recurrent metastatic patients and for the number of metastatic sites as well as the therapeutic response. Conclusions: This study paves the way of the use of PD-L1 as a noninvasive prognostic and diagnostic biomarker for poor prognosis of breast cancer.

scholarly journals What mediates the racial/ethnic disparity in psychosocial stress among breast cancer patients?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. T. Sánchez-Díaz ◽  
S. Strayhorn ◽  
S. Tejeda ◽  
G. Vijayasiri ◽  
G. H. Rauscher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Psychosocial Stress ◽  
Breast Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Support Needs ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Hispanic Patients ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Abstract Background Prior studies have observed greater levels of psychosocial stress (PSS) among non-Hispanic (nH) African American and Hispanic women when compared to nH White patients after a breast cancer diagnosis. We aimed to determine the independent and interdependent roles of socioeconomic position (SEP) and unmet support in the racial disparity in PSS among breast cancer patients. Methods Participants were recruited from the Breast Cancer Care in Chicago study (n = 989). For all recently diagnosed breast cancer patients, aged 25–79, income, education, and tract-level disadvantage and affluence were summed to create a standardized socioeconomic position (SEP) score. Three measures of PSS related to loneliness, perceived stress, and psychological consequences of a breast cancer diagnosis were defined based on previously validated scales. Five domains of unmet social support needs (emotional, spiritual, informational, financial, and practical) were defined from interviews. We conducted path models in MPlus to estimate the extent to which PSS disparities were mediated by SEP and unmet social support needs. Results Black and Hispanic patients reported greater PSS compared to white patients and greater unmet social support needs (p = 0.001 for all domains). Virtually all of the disparity in PSS could be explained by SEP. A substantial portion of the mediating influence of SEP was further transmitted by unmet financial and practical needs among Black patients and by unmet emotional needs for Hispanic patients. Conclusions SEP appeared to be a root cause of the racial/ethnic disparities in PSS within our sample. Our findings further suggest that different interventions may be necessary to alleviate the burden of SEP for nH AA (i.e., more financial support) and Hispanic patients (i.e., more emotional support).

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