Cognitive–behavioral stress management increases benefit finding and immune function among women with early-stage breast cancer

This study examined the effect of a cognitive–behavioral stress management (CBSM) intervention on emotional well-being and immune function among women in the months following surgery for early-stage breast cancer. Twenty-nine women were randomly assigned to receive either a 10-week CBSM intervention...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of psychosomatic research 2004, Vol.56 (1), p.1-8
Main Authors: McGregor, Bonnie A, Antoni, Michael H, Boyers, Amy, Alferi, Susan M, Blomberg, Bonnie B, Carver, Charles S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Anti-CD3
Antigens, CD - immunology
Behavior therapy. Cognitive therapy
Biological and medical sciences
Breast cancer
Breast neoplasms
Breast Neoplasms - immunology
Breast Neoplasms - psychology
Cell Movement - physiology
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - methods
Cognitive behaviour therapy
Cognitive–behavioral therapy
Emotional wellbeing
Female
Followup studies
Humans
Immune response
Intervention studies
Lymphocyte proliferation
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Neoplasm Staging
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Stress management
Stress, Psychological - etiology
Stress, Psychological - therapy
Treatments
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Summary:This study examined the effect of a cognitive–behavioral stress management (CBSM) intervention on emotional well-being and immune function among women in the months following surgery for early-stage breast cancer. Twenty-nine women were randomly assigned to receive either a 10-week CBSM intervention ( n=18) or a comparison experience ( n=11). The primary psychological outcome measure was benefit finding. The primary immune function outcome measure was in vitro lymphocyte proliferative response to anti CD3. Women in the CBSM intervention reported greater perceptions of benefit from having breast cancer compared to the women in the comparison group. At 3-month follow-up, women in the CBSM group also had improved lymphocyte proliferation. Finally, increases in benefit finding after the 10-week intervention predicted increases in lymphocyte proliferation at the 3-month follow-up. A CBSM intervention for women with early-stage breast cancer facilitated positive emotional responses to their breast cancer experience in parallel with later improvement in cellular immune function.
ISSN:0022-3999
1879-1360
DOI:10.1016/S0022-3999(03)00036-9