Evaluation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and anxiety symptoms in early-stage breast cancer (ESBC) patients: A prospective, longitudinal study.

e20742 Background: It is hypothesized that pro-inflammatory cytokines dysregulation gives rise to anxiety symptoms in cancer patients. However, the specific cytokines associated with this condition remains unknown. This study aims to identify pro-inflammatory biomarkers that are associated with anxiety symptoms in ESBC patients. Methods: This was a multi-centered, prospective, longitudinal study conducted between 2011 and 2014. Chemotherapy-receiving ESBC patients were recruited. Anxiety symptoms, cancer-related fatigue (CRF) and health-related QOL were measured using Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), and EORTC-QLQ-C30, respectively. Pro-inflammatory plasma cytokines concentrations (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-γ, GM-CSF) were measured using multiplex immunoassay at three time points: prior to chemotherapy (T1), at midpoint (T2), and end of chemotherapy (T3). Associations were evaluated using the generalized estimating equation model, adjusting for clinically...