Randomized trial of exercise on depressive symptomatology and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in ovarian cancer survivors: The Women's Activity and Lifestyle Study in Connecticut (WALC).

Randomized trial of exercise on depressive symptomatology and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in ovarian cancer survivors: The Women's Activity and Lifestyle Study in Connecticut (WALC).

Cartmel B; Hughes M; Ercolano EA; Gottlieb L; Li F; Zhou Y; Harrigan M; Ligibel JA; von Gruenigen VE; Gogoi R; Schwartz PE; Risch HA; Lu L; Irwin ML

Gynecologic Oncology

2021

2021-03-24

OBJECTIVES: Depression is one of the most prevalent mental disorders, and rates are higher among cancer survivors than the general population, and higher in ovarian cancer patients compared to cohorts of other cancer survivors. Physical activity has been associated with lower depressive symptoms in cancer survivors, yet no trial has examined this association in women with ovarian cancer. We examined the effect of exercise on depression symptomatology and serum brain derived neurotrophin factor (BDNF) which has been associated with depression, in women with ovarian cancer. METHODS: We conducted a 6-month home-based randomized trial of exercise vs. attention-control (AC) in 144 ovarian cancer survivors. Depressive symptomatology was measured via the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Serum total and free BDNF was measured at baseline and 6-months. Student's t-statistic and mixed-model repeated measures analysis was used to evaluate six-month change between arms in CES-D scores and BDNF. RESULTS: Women were 57.3 ± 8.6 (mean ± SD) years old, 1.7 ± 1.0 years post-diagnosis with a baseline CES-D score of 11.79 ± 10.21. The majority (55%) were diagnosed with stage III/IV ovarian cancer. CES-D scores decreased in the exercise arm by 2.7 points (95% CI: -4.4, -0.9) or a 21% decrease compared to a 0.3 point decrease (-2.2, 1.5) (3% decrease) in the AC arm (P = 0.05). There was no difference in change in total or free BDNF between the exercise and AC arms. CONCLUSIONS: Ovarian cancer survivors are able to exercise at recommended levels, and exercise was associated with a significant reduction in depressive symptomatology.

Brain derived neurotrophin factor; Depressive symptomatology; Exercise; Ovarian cancer; Randomized trial

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journalArticle

1095-6859 0090-8258

NEOMED College of Medicine

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

April 2021 List