Influence of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on coping response to stress in patients with advanced gastric cancer

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.

Conclusion

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.