Abstract
BACKGROUND: Previous studies have tested the relationship between stressful life events (LE) and cancer onset, but inconsistent results have been found. One possibility is that the LE-cancer relation may depend on other biological factors pertinent to stress and cancer.
METHODS: This study examined the relationship between LE and prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels, a tumor marker, and whether cortisol mediates or moderates a LE-PSA relationship. During a voluntary screening for prostate cancer risk, 139 men (mean age=57.3 years) were assessed with the Holmes and Rahe questionnaire about their LE during the past 1-5 years, and their PSA and serum cortisol levels were measured.
RESULTS: LE and cortisol alone were unrelated to PSA. However, statistically controlling for age, body mass index and the ratio of triglycerides to HDL cholesterol, we found evidence for a synergistic interaction between LE and cortisol. Among men with low cortisol, number of LE were inversely and significantly correlated with PSA (r=-0.265, p
CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest considering the joint effects of psychosocial and biological factors in relation to possible cancer risk, where the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis may moderate stress-cancer risk associations.
METHODS: This study examined the relationship between LE and prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels, a tumor marker, and whether cortisol mediates or moderates a LE-PSA relationship. During a voluntary screening for prostate cancer risk, 139 men (mean age=57.3 years) were assessed with the Holmes and Rahe questionnaire about their LE during the past 1-5 years, and their PSA and serum cortisol levels were measured.
RESULTS: LE and cortisol alone were unrelated to PSA. However, statistically controlling for age, body mass index and the ratio of triglycerides to HDL cholesterol, we found evidence for a synergistic interaction between LE and cortisol. Among men with low cortisol, number of LE were inversely and significantly correlated with PSA (r=-0.265, p
CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest considering the joint effects of psychosocial and biological factors in relation to possible cancer risk, where the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis may moderate stress-cancer risk associations.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 10-10 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Journal | Int J Mol Med |
| Volume | 26 |
| Publication status | Published - 2010 |
Keywords
- cortisol
- prostate
- antigen
- synergism