Life Stress as a Risk Factor for Sustained Anxiety and Cortisol Dysregulation During the First Year of Survivorship in Ovarian Cancer

摘要

BackgroundOvarian cancer patients often report elevated anxiety at diagnosis that decreases post-treatment. However, a minority of patients experience sustained anxiety. Few studies have examined risk factors for persistent anxiety or its physiological sequelae in ovarian cancer. Therefore, we investigated associations between prior life events, anxiety, inflammation (plasma IL-6), and diurnal cortisol profiles in ovarian cancer patients during the first-year post-diagnosis.