Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38954249›Full record

ArticleJournal of cancer survivorship : research and practice2026

Fear of cancer recurrence and change in hair cortisol concentrations in partners of breast cancer survivors.

Alyssa L Fenech, Emily C Soriano, Arun Asok, Scott D Siegel, Michael Morreale, Hannah A Brownlee, Jean-Philippe Laurenceau

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Article in Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Alyssa L FenechDepartment of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, 108 Wolf Hall, Newark, DE, USA. afenech@udel.edu.
Emily C SorianoScripps Whittier Diabetes Institute, San Diego, CA, USA.
Arun AsokAlien Therapeutics Inc, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Scott D SiegelHelen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute, Christiana Care, Newark, DE, USA.
Michael MorrealeDepartment of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, 108 Wolf Hall, Newark, DE, USA.
Hannah A BrownleeDepartment of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, 108 Wolf Hall, Newark, DE, USA.
Jean-Philippe LaurenceauDepartment of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, 108 Wolf Hall, Newark, DE, USA. jlaurenc@udel.edu.

Funding

Intensive Longitudinal Study of Fear of Recurrence in Cancer Patients and SpousesR21CA171921 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE · PI LAURENCEAU, JEAN-PHILIPPE · 2013 to 2014
$381k
NCI NIH HHS R21 CA171921NCI NIH HHS R21CA171921
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposePartners of breast cancer (BC) survivors report high rates of psychological distress including fear of cancer recurrence (FCR). Research suggests that partners may have poorer physical health outcomes than the general population, but little research has examined the physiological biomarkers by which distress may impact partner health outcomes. The current study examined the associations between FCR and changes in hair cortisol among BC partners.

methodsMale partners (N = 73) of early-stage BC survivors provided hair samples during two visits, one after completion of survivors' adjuvant treatment (T1) and again 6 months later (T2). Two subscales from the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory and one subscale from the Concerns about Recurrence Scale comprised a latent FCR factor at T1. A latent change score model was used to examine change in cortisol as a function of FCR.

resultsPartners were on average 59.65 years of age (SD = 10.53) and non-Hispanic White (83%). Latent FCR at T1 was positively associated (b = 0.08, SE = 0.03, p = .004, standardized β = .45) with change in latent hair cortisol from T1 to T2.

conclusionsResults indicated that greater FCR was associated with increases in hair cortisol in the months following adjuvant treatment. This is one of the first studies to examine the physiological correlates of FCR that may impact health outcomes in BC partners. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Findings highlight the need for further research into the relationship between FCR and its physiological consequences. Interventions to address partner FCR are needed and may aid in improving downstream physical health outcomes.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsCancer SurvivorsFearHairHydrocortisoneNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedHydrocortisoneBreast cancerChange modelsFear of cancer recurrenceHair cortisolIntimate partners

Identifiers

PMID38954249
PMCPMC12906507

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.