Renna Megan E, Shrout M Rosie
University of Southern Mississippi, USA.
Purdue University, USA.
Compr Psychoneuroendocrinol. 2024 May 10;19:100240. doi: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2024.100240. eCollection 2024 Aug.
Although many breast cancer survivors adjust to cancer treatment and survivorship, a sizable subgroup of women do not do so, resulting in psychological distress. Over time, this psychological distress can contribute to immune dysfunction and accompanying worsened physical symptoms as women navigate survivorship. Dr. Kiecolt-Glaser's work and mentorship has been integral to our understanding of breast cancer survivors' immune risks, and how behavioral factors may enhance these risks. As a postdoctoral fellow in the Stress and Health Lab, under Dr. Kiecolt-Glaser's mentorship, my research focused on understanding how distress is associated with immune functioning and physical health in breast cancer survivors. In this paper, we highlight Dr. Kiecolt-Glaser's influence on our careers as a strong female research and mentor, the work completed under her mentorship, and how the field of psychoneuroimmunology can continue to expand her research to better understand how distress in the cancer context confers long-term health risks.
尽管许多乳腺癌幸存者能够适应癌症治疗及后续的康复生活，但仍有相当一部分女性做不到，从而导致心理困扰。随着时间的推移，当女性度过癌症康复期时，这种心理困扰会导致免疫功能紊乱以及随之而来的身体症状恶化。基科尔特-格拉泽博士的工作及指导对我们理解乳腺癌幸存者的免疫风险，以及行为因素如何增加这些风险起到了不可或缺的作用。作为压力与健康实验室的一名博士后研究员，在基科尔特-格拉泽博士的指导下，我的研究重点是了解心理困扰与乳腺癌幸存者的免疫功能及身体健康之间的关联。在本文中，我们强调基科尔特-格拉泽博士作为一位杰出的女性研究人员和导师对我们职业生涯的影响，在她指导下完成的工作，以及心理神经免疫学领域如何能够继续拓展她的研究，以更好地理解癌症背景下的心理困扰如何带来长期健康风险。
