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Distress and Inflammation: Mediators of the Relationship Between BMI and Mortality in Cancer Patients
Freche, Ronald
Freche, Ronald
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Abstract
Abnormal body mass index is associated with increases in mortality, inflammation, and psychological distress among cancer patients. There have been differences observed in the incidence rates of mortality, inflammation and distress among various types of cancers and at more advanced stages of disease. However, there have been few studies that have examined these relationships in a unified model that investigates whether inflammation and distress mediate the relationship between BMI and mortality. The aim of the current study was to examine these relationships among breast (n = 214) and lung cancer patients (n = 138) via retrospective chart review of electronic medical records. Statistical analyses used Chi-square analyses and t-tests to compare mean values of demographic variables between groups and Pearson correlations to examine relationships between demographic, psychological, and health outcome variables. Logistic regression analyses were used to compare differences in mortality while MANCOVA and ANCOVA analyses were used to compare differences in inflammation and distress between groups of patients. Logistic and hierarchical linear regressions were used to test individually mediated relationships of inflammation and distress on the relationship between BMI and mortality, after controlling for age and gender where appropriate. Breast cancer patients were found to have fewer white blood cells and neutrophil counts and higher lymphocyte counts than lung cancer patients, and earlier lung cancer patients had lower white blood cell and lymphocyte counts than later stage lung cancer patients. The current study’s findings on the relationships between BMI, mortality, distress, and inflammation were not consistent with established literature, but findings about the differences in mortality between groups of lung and breast cancer patients were consistent with previous research. The current study was limited by the retrospective chart review aspect of the design, limitations on statistical power, decisions made in the measurement of mortality and inflammation. Future research on cancer should continue to investigate differences in these relationships among various kinds of cancer while also incorporating different measurements, as the development of prevention and intervention programs for individuals at increased risk of cancer incidence and mortality may be informed by potential findings.
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Date
2018-01-01
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University of Kansas
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This item contains archived web content.
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Freche_ku_0099D_16156.pdf
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- Embargoed until 2168-05-31
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Keywords
BMI, Breast Cancer, Cancer, Distress, Inflammation, Lung Cancer