The relationship between coping self-efficacy and B cells in breast cancer patients

Abstract

BackgroundBreast cancer is the most common tumor among women throughout the world. Diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer are associated with stress and depression. Self-efficacy is one of the most important personal characteristics, studied in cancer, and is correlated with depression and immunity. The aim of the study is as follows:1. Examining the correlation between coping self-efficacy with depression, DHEA levels, and immunity2. Examining the correlation between depression and DHEA levels3. Studying the effect of depression and DHEA levels on immunity4. Examining the intermediate effect of DHEA levels on the correlation between coping self-efficacy and immunityMethodsThirty newly diagnosed breast cancer patients recruited from the Oncology Department, Kasr EL-Aini, Cairo University (ages 51.40 + 8.24 years) responded to two questionnaires: Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9); blood samples were collected to measure the phenotype of patients’ cellular immunity and DHEA levels by flowcytometry and ELISA technique.ResultsThere was a significant negative correlation between CSES and PHQ-9, a significant positive correlation between PHQ-9 and B-cell count, and there is a significant negative correlation between CSES and B-cell count. The presence of DHEA has no mediatory role on correlation between CSES and B-cell count.ConclusionThis paper presents a new model of psychoneuroimmunology by suggesting an effect of coping self-efficacy on immunity against breast cancer patients.