Author:

Keywords:

Science & Technology, Social Sciences, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Oncology, Psychology, Psychology, Multidisciplinary, Social Sciences, Biomedical, Biomedical Social Sciences, 1103 Clinical Sciences, 1112 Oncology and Carcinogenesis, 1701 Psychology, Oncology & Carcinogenesis, 32 Biomedical and clinical sciences, 52 Psychology

Abstract:

The vagus nerve may slow down tumorigenesis because it inhibits contributors to cancer progression such as inflammation. Vagal activ- ity is related to psychological prognostic factors such as hopeless- ness, and patients can self‐activate vagal nerve activity by deep breathing. I will present results of a systematic review of 12 studies in which vagal activity, indexed by hear‐rate variability (HRV), pre- dicted clinical outcomes. In 100% of the methodologically better studies, higher HRV predicted better prognosis, independent of con- founders. I will present new results showing that the ratio of HRV to inflammation also independently predicts survival in non‐small cell lung cancer and in pancreatic cancer. Finally, results of a matched controlled intervention pilot study with 6 patients with metastatic colon cancer will be presented. Half performed for 3 months HRV‐ biofeedback daily, half not, and pairs of patients were matched on cancer‐type, ‐stage and ‐treatment and on baseline tumor marker levels (CEA). At 3 months, CEA levels tended to decline in the HRV‐biofeedback group more than in controls. HRV‐biofeedback may especially be relevant to high‐hopeless patients because HRV is inversely related to hopelessness and since such self‐activation can be empowering. In summary, vagal nerve activity independently predicts cancer prognosis, these prospective associations have plausi- ble neuroimmunological pathways, and vagal nerve activation may have clinical implications for psychooncology, which need to be scientifically tested.