Looking Along the Track of the Psychoneuroimmunologic Axis for Missing Links in Cancer Progression*

Abstract

The present data report on five bereaved cancer patients with initial progression-free disease in respect to natural killer cell activity, ß-endorphin binding capacity of their peripheral blood lymphocytes, and the psychometrically objective parameter depression during widowhood. In bereaved and severely depressed cancer patients, there is a tendency of an earlier onset of decreased natural killer cell activity and a reduced binding affinity of ß-endorphin to peripheral blood lymphocytes.

A second set of data obtained from a cancer patient cohort study shows a correlation between the two variables depression and ß-endorphin, profiles are inversely correlated and cancer patients, doing clinically well, state that physical activities counteract possible day-to-day depressive disorders.

Taking together the two sets of data, one might speculate that for a defineable subgroup of cancer patients physical activities raise endorphin levels and psychological well-being, both of which might modulate the activity of immune competent cells, which leads to an extended period of progression-free disease.

Key words

Stressors - POMC fragments - NK cell activity - intervention - physical exercise