title: Influence of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on coping response to stress in patients with advanced gastric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Coping with cancer is an important determinant of psychological morbidity, quality of life, and treatment adherence in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to elucidate the association between the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism and coping response to stress in patients diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-one subjects (60 males, 31 females) recently diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer were recruited. Coping style and distress level were examined using the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer (Mini-MAC) scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and genotyping was evaluated. To examine the temporal stability of the Mini-MAC scores, a 6-week follow-up evaluation was conducted in 72 patients, after completion of two chemotherapy cycles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Coping style to cancer significantly differed between the Met carriers of BDNF Val66Met and the Val/Val homozygotes. The Met carriers were significantly more anxious than the Val/Val homozygotes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present findings suggest that the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism may be involved in individual coping responses to cancer. The Met allele of BDNF Val66Met may be predictive of an anxious coping style in patients with advanced cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; The Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: mjkoh@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Min Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.affiliation: Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei Cancer Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: jeunghc1123@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Hei-Cheul
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Jeung
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; The Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: keen@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Kee
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Namkoong
authors.affiliation: Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: unchung8@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Hyun Cheol
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; The Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: jeeinkang@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Jee In
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000483:Alleles; D001007:Anxiety / Q000235:genetics; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
keywords: Anxious Preoccupation; BDNF; Cancer; Coping; Genetic association study; Psychosomatics