Relationship between distressing cancer-related recollections and hippocampal volume in cancer survivors.
OBJECTIVE
Having cancer is extremely stressful, and distressing cancer-related recollections are frequently reported by cancer survivors. Smaller hippocampal volume has been observed in stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depression. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a similar association between distressing cancer-related recollections and hippocampal volume.


METHODS
The subjects were 67 women who had had breast cancer surgery 3 or more years earlier and had no history of PTSD or major depression before the cancer. Each woman was evaluated with a semistructured interview to determine whether she had a history of distressing cancer-related recollections. Hippocampal volume was measured by three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging, and memory function was assessed by the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised.


RESULTS
The volume of the left hippocampus was significantly smaller (5%) in the subjects with a history of distressing cancer-related recollections (N=28) than in those without any such history (N=39). There was no significant difference in right hippocampal volume or whole brain volume measured as a control. There were no significant differences in delayed memory or percentage retention. However, significantly worse immediate visual memory, but not verbal memory, was observed in the subjects with a history of distressing cancer-related recollections.


CONCLUSIONS
Having distressing cancer-related recollections is associated with smaller left hippocampal volume in survivors of breast cancer.
Nakano
Tomohito
T
Psycho-Oncology Division, National Cancer Center Research Institute East, 6-5-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8577, Japan.
Wenner
Marcus
M
Inagaki
Masatoshi
M
Kugaya
Akira
A
Akechi
Tatsuo
T
Matsuoka
Yutaka
Y
Sugahara
Yuriko
Y
Imoto
Shigeru
S
Murakami
Koji
K
Uchitomi
Yosuke
Y
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D014888:Wechsler Scales