Cortisol Awakening Response as a Prospective Risk Factor for Depressive Symptoms in Women After Treatment for Breast Cancer

摘要

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis HPA axis) functioning as a neurobiological risk factor for depressive symptoms in an ongoing longitudinal, observational study of women undergoing treatment and recovery from breast cancer. Many women with breast cancer experience depressive symptoms that interfere with their treatment, recovery, and quality of life. Psychosocial risk factors for depression among patients with cancer and survivors have been identified, yet neurobiological risk factors in this population remain largely unexamined.