Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Diurnal Cortisol Dysregulation, Functional Disability, And Depression In Women With Ovarian Cancer., Aliza Weinrib, Sandra Sephton, Koen De Geest, Frank Penedo, David Bender, Bridget Zimmerman, Clemens Kirschbaum, Anil Sood, David Lubaroff, Susan Lutgendorf

Koen De Geest

BACKGROUND: Multiple alterations in circadian rhythms have been observed in cancer patients, including the diurnal rhythm of the adrenal hormone cortisol. Diurnal cortisol alterations have been associated with cancer-related physiological processes as well as psychological stress. Here we investigate alterations in diurnal cortisol rhythm in ovarian cancer patients, and potential links with depression, life stress, and functional disability.

METHODS: Women (n = 177) with suspected ovarian cancer completed questionnaires and collected salivary cortisol 3× daily for 3 consecutive days before surgery. One hundred women were subsequently diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 77 with benign disease. In addition, healthy women (n …

Sleep Disturbance, Cytokines, And Fatigue In Women With Ovarian Cancer., Lauren Clevenger, Andrew Schrepf, Desire Christensen, Koen De Geest, David Bender, Amina Ahmed, Michael Goodheart, Frank Penedo, David Lubaroff, Anil Sood, Susan Lutgendorf

Koen De Geest

Pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), have been implicated in the underlying processes contributing to sleep regulation and fatigue. Despite evidence for sleep difficulties, fatigue, and elevations in IL-6 among women with ovarian cancer, the association between these symptoms and IL-6 has not been investigated. To address this knowledge gap, we examined relationships between sleep disturbance, fatigue, and plasma IL-6 in 136 women with ovarian cancer prior to surgery. These relationships were also examined in 63 of these women who were disease-free and not receiving chemotherapy one year post-diagnosis. At both time-points, higher levels of IL-6 were significantly associated with …