title: Mental adaptation to cancer: depression and blood platelet monoamine oxidase activity in breast cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stress and depression were reported as negative prognostic factors in breast cancer patients and monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity was considered a marker of mental suffering.
  
  
  METHODS
  MAO activity in platelets was determined in a group of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, after the communication of diagnosis and surgery, using the Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression scales (HADS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis of regression indicated that hopelessness-helplessness positively correlated with depression, anxiety and anxious preoccupation. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity displayed a positive regression coefficient with depression score. At follow-up, Cox analysis of survival indicated that MAO activity was a marginally significant risk factor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further research in a larger group of patients may support the present results, showing that MAO activity is a biological marker of difficulties in mental adaptation to cancer and is a risk factor for survival.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Sezione di Farmacologia and Clinica Psichiatrica, Università di Trieste, I-34100 Trieste, Italy. giraldi@units.it
authors.forename: Tullio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Giraldi
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Vanna
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malagoli
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tuveri
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sutto
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schillani
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grassi
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000201:enzymology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase