title: Telomeres and Stress: Promising Avenues for Research in Psycho-Oncology.
abstract: A cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment is a stressful experience with the potential for long-term health consequences for both patients and their caregivers. It is now well-established that psychological stress is associated with detrimental effects on physical health. Recent studies have investigated the link between telomeres, the protective cap at the end of chromosomes, and stress, suggesting that stress potentially impacts on cellular aging through telomere shortening, with subsequent consequences for health. This review aims to familiarize the reader with the pertinent literature exploring the relationship between telomeres and psychological and behavioral factors and propose future directions for telomere research in psycho-oncology.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Oncology Education and Research Translation, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, South Western Sydney Clinical School, UNSW Medicine, Liverpool, Australia.
authors.forename: Eleanor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Law
authors.affiliation: Centre for Oncology Education and Research Translation, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, South Western Sydney Clinical School, UNSW Medicine, Liverpool, Australia.
authors.forename: Afaf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Girgis
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.affiliation: Centre for Oncology Education and Research Translation, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, South Western Sydney Clinical School, UNSW Medicine, Liverpool, Australia.
authors.forename: Lambert
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sylvie
authors.affiliation: Centre for Oncology Education and Research Translation, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, South Western Sydney Clinical School, UNSW Medicine, Liverpool, Australia.
authors.forename: Janelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Levesque
authors.affiliation: Centre for Oncology Education and Research Translation, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, South Western Sydney Clinical School, UNSW Medicine, Liverpool, Australia.
authors.forename: Hilda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pickett
keywords: Cancer; caregivers; patients; psychosocial interventions; stress; telomeres