TY - JOUR
T1 - Preservation of immune function in cervical cancer patients during chemoradiation using a novel integrative approach
AU - Lutgendorf, Susan K.
AU - Mullen-Houser, Elizabeth
AU - Russell, Daniel
AU - DeGeest, Koen
AU - Jacobson, Geraldine
AU - Hart, Laura
AU - Bender, David
AU - Anderson, Barrie
AU - Buekers, Thomas E.
AU - Goodheart, Michael J.
AU - Antoni, Michael H.
AU - Sood, Anil K.
AU - Lubaroff, David M.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was funded in part by NIH Grant #R21AT0095801 to Susan Lutgendorf, NIH Grant #P20AT75601 to Karen Prestwood, and Grant #UL1RR024979 from the National Center for Research Resources, NIH . We gratefully acknowledge John Buatti, M.D., Heena Maiseri, M.S.N., Stephanie McGinn, B.S., Patrick Henderson, B.S., Brian Weinberg, B.A., Emily Schlitter, B.S., Mildred Freel, M.S., R.N., C.H.T.P., Marjorie Fearing, R.N., C.H.T.P., Carol Flack, L.M.T., C.H.T.P., Dixie Ecklund, R.N., Michael Bosch, R.N., B.A., and the Clinical Research Center staff for their valuable contributions to the study.
PY - 2010/11
Y1 - 2010/11
N2 - Patients receiving chemoradiation for cervical cancer are at risk for distress, chemoradiation-related side-effects, and immunosuppression. This prospective randomized clinical trial examined effects of a complementary therapy, Healing Touch (HT), versus relaxation training (RT) and usual care (UC) for (1) supporting cellular immunity, (2) improving mood and quality of life (QOL), and (3) reducing treatment-associated toxicities and treatment delay in cervical cancer patients receiving chemoradiation. Sixty women with stages IB1 to IVA cervical cancer were randomly assigned to receive UC or 4×/weekly individual sessions of either HT or RT immediately following radiation during their 6-week chemoradiation treatment. Patients completed psychosocial assessments and blood sampling before chemoradiation at baseline, weeks 4 and 6. Multilevel regression analyses using orthogonal contrasts tested for differences between treatment conditions over time. HT patients had a minimal decrease in natural killer cell cytotoxicity (NKCC) over the course of treatment whereas NKCC of RT and UC patients declined sharply during chemoradiation (group by time interaction: p=0.018). HT patients showed greater decreases in two different indicators of depressed mood (CES-D depressed mood subscale and POMS depression scale) compared to RT and UC (group by time interactions: p<0.05). No between group differences were observed in QOL, treatment delay, or clinically-rated toxicities. HT may benefit cervical cancer patients by moderating effects of chemoradiation on depressed mood and cellular immunity. Effects of HT on toxicities, treatment delay, QOL, and fatigue were not observed. Long-term clinical implications of findings are not known.
AB - Patients receiving chemoradiation for cervical cancer are at risk for distress, chemoradiation-related side-effects, and immunosuppression. This prospective randomized clinical trial examined effects of a complementary therapy, Healing Touch (HT), versus relaxation training (RT) and usual care (UC) for (1) supporting cellular immunity, (2) improving mood and quality of life (QOL), and (3) reducing treatment-associated toxicities and treatment delay in cervical cancer patients receiving chemoradiation. Sixty women with stages IB1 to IVA cervical cancer were randomly assigned to receive UC or 4×/weekly individual sessions of either HT or RT immediately following radiation during their 6-week chemoradiation treatment. Patients completed psychosocial assessments and blood sampling before chemoradiation at baseline, weeks 4 and 6. Multilevel regression analyses using orthogonal contrasts tested for differences between treatment conditions over time. HT patients had a minimal decrease in natural killer cell cytotoxicity (NKCC) over the course of treatment whereas NKCC of RT and UC patients declined sharply during chemoradiation (group by time interaction: p=0.018). HT patients showed greater decreases in two different indicators of depressed mood (CES-D depressed mood subscale and POMS depression scale) compared to RT and UC (group by time interactions: p<0.05). No between group differences were observed in QOL, treatment delay, or clinically-rated toxicities. HT may benefit cervical cancer patients by moderating effects of chemoradiation on depressed mood and cellular immunity. Effects of HT on toxicities, treatment delay, QOL, and fatigue were not observed. Long-term clinical implications of findings are not known.
KW - Cervical cancer
KW - Complementary and alternative medicine
KW - Healing Touch
KW - NK cell cytotoxicity
KW - Psychoneuroimmunology
KW - Relaxation
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U2 - 10.1016/j.bbi.2010.06.014
DO - 10.1016/j.bbi.2010.06.014
M3 - Article
C2 - 20600809
AN - SCOPUS:77957243585
SN - 0889-1591
VL - 24
SP - 1231
EP - 1240
JO - Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
JF - Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
IS - 8
ER -