Abstract
BackgroundNoradrenergic pathways and glucocorticoid-mediated signal pathways have been implicated in the growth and progression of oral cancer. Patients with oral neoplasms can have high psychological distress levels, but the effects of stress-related hormones on oral neoplasm growth are unknown.MethodsWe have investigated the relationships between pre-surgical measurements of psychological problems with Symptom Checklist-90-revised Inventory (SCL90-R), tumor histology, circulating blood catecholamine and glucocorticoid levels among 75 oral neoplasm patients, including 40 oral cancer patients and 35 benign oral tumor patients.ResultsThe results showed that most dimension scores of SCL90-R did not show a significant difference between the two groups except depression (p = 0.0201) and obsessive-compulsion (p = 0.0093), with the scores for these symptoms being higher among oral cancer group versus the benign oral tumor group. The differences of total score, average score and other monomial factor scores were not statistically significant. The mean concentrations of catecholamine and glucocorticoid in peripheral blood of the oral cancer group were higher than those in benign oral tumor group (p<0.01). We also examined whether associations observed between biobehavioral measures and circulating blood catecholamine and glucocorticoid levels extended to other compartments in the oral cancer group.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that stress hormones may affect oral cancer behavior by influencing the tumor micro-environment though the circulating blood.
Highlights
A growing number of studies have indicated that the immune alterations resulting from chronic stress and other behavioral conditions may influence cancer development and progression [1,2,3]
Chronic stress is associated with dysregulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, with consequent increase in the production of the hormone cortisol, and elevated levels of norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E), which are catecholamines released from the adrenal medulla and the neurons of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) [2,4]
These findings suggest that stress hormones can affect oral cancer cell behavior [8]
Summary
A growing number of studies have indicated that the immune alterations resulting from chronic stress and other behavioral conditions may influence cancer development and progression [1,2,3]. Chronic stress is associated with dysregulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, with consequent increase in the production of the hormone cortisol, and elevated levels of norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E), which are catecholamines released from the adrenal medulla and the neurons of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) [2,4]. Patients with oral cancer can have high psychological distress levels, but the effects of stress-related hormones on oral cancer cells and possible mechanisms underlying these relationships are unknown. The effects of cortisol varied according to the hormone concentration These findings suggest that stress hormones can affect oral cancer cell behavior [8]. Patients with oral neoplasms can have high psychological distress levels, but the effects of stress-related hormones on oral neoplasm growth are unknown
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