Rural-urban differences in neuroimmune biomarkers and health status among women living with breast cancer

摘要: BackgroundBecause of chronic emotional and psychosocial stressors following breast cancer (BC) treatment, BC survivors are at risk of neuroimmune dysfunction in survivorship. Rural BC survivors experience more health disparities than urban BC survivors. Rural-urban residence as a variable on neuroimmune activity in extended BC survivorship continuum has not been explored.ObjectiveTo report the feasibility of studying relationships between neuroimmune activity and perceived health in rural and urban BC survivors.MethodsData from a pilot study of BC survivors (n= 41) were analyzed. Participants were rural (n= 16) and urban (n= 25). Participants completed Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Version 2 Health Survey questionnaires and provided salivary specimens for analysis of salivary α-amylase (sAA), cortisol, and interleukin 6 (IL-6). Rural-Urban Commuting Area Codes were used to determine rural …