Breast cancer risk and immune responses in healthy women.
OBJECTIVE
To summarize the findings of objective and subjective breast cancer risk assessments and their association with psychological distress and immune responses in healthy women with a family history of breast cancer.


METHODS
Published articles and book chapters.


RESULTS
Healthy women with a family history of breast cancer have shown decreased immune responses (i.e., low natural killer cell activity and low Th1 cytokine production), exaggerated biophysiologic reactivity to stimuli, and increased psychological distress.


CONCLUSIONS
Objective and subjective breast cancer risk is associated with impaired immune responses and exaggerated biophysiologic responses in healthy women with a family history of breast cancer. Increased psychological distress can contribute further to negative immune responses. Additional studies are warranted to substantiate and extend the findings based on more comprehensive assessments of objective and subjective breast cancer risk.


CONCLUSIONS
Biophysiologic assessment is a useful approach for nurses in early identification of women at risk for breast cancer and developing appropriate strategies to reduce the risk.
Park
Na-Jin
NJ
School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA. najinp@uab.edu
Kang
Duck-Hee
DH
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000451:nursing; D006801:Humans; D009859:Oncology Nursing; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000451:nursing