This pilot research trial studies the collection of serum samples in studying emotional stress in patients with prostate cancer. Studying serum samples from patients with prostate cancer in the laboratory may help doctors determine if levels of epinephrine and cortisol, substances the body makes when stressed, rise or fall with how patients are feeling and/or if those levels are related to clinical information related to prostate cancer.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine if serum epinephrine or cortisol levels in men with prostate cancer correlate with perceived stress or distress over time in two to five consecutive visits. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine the change in serum epinephrine levels in men with prostate cancer over time in two to five consecutive visits. II. To determine the change in serum cortisol levels in men with prostate cancer over time in two to five consecutive visits. III. To determine the change in levels of stress in men with prostate cancer over time in two to five consecutive visits IV. To determine the change in levels of distress in men with prostate cancer over time in two to five consecutive visits. TERTIARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine if serum epinephrine or cortisol levels in men with prostate cancer correlate with prostate cancer progression two to five visits. OUTLINE: Patients undergo collection of serum samples for epinephrine and cortisol levels at baseline and 4 clinical visits. Patients also receive the Self-Perceived Stress questionnaire and the Distress Thermometer questionnaire to measure perceived stress.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
61
Undergo collection of serum samples
Correlative studies
Ancillary studies
Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
Change in distress score, assessed by the Distress Thermometer
Will calculate the patient's stress levels at each of the 5 visits using a validated distress thermometer
Time frame: Up to 1 year
Change in perceived stress scores, assessed by the Self-Perceived Stress Questionnaire
Will calculate the patient's stress levels at each of the 5 visits using a validated measure of self-perceived stress
Time frame: Up to 1 year
Change in serum cortisol levels
Will calculate the change in serum cortisol levels between the first and last assessment and calculate the corresponding change in perceived stress or distress during the same time period. Will estimate the Pearson correlation between the two changes. Will also estimate a 95% confidence interval for this estimated correlation. These calculations will be performed overall (pooling all 3 groups together) and then repeated for each of the three groups of men separately. Will fit a longitudinal mixed model that incorporates the repeated measures taken on each patient. Additional int
Time frame: Up to 1 year
Change in serum epinephrine levels
Will calculate the change in serum epinephrine levels between the first and last assessment and calculate the corresponding change in perceived stress or distress during the same time period. Will estimate the Pearson correlation between the two changes. Will also estimate a 95% confidence interval for this estimated correlation. These calculations will be performed overall (pooling all 3 groups together) and then repeated for each of the three groups of men separately. Will fit a longitudinal mixed model that incorporates the repeated measures taken on each patient. Additional int
Time frame: Up to 1 year
Change in levels of distress assessed by the Distress Thermometer
Will fit a two-way random effects model to examine the time course of distress levels.
Time frame: Baseline up to 1 year
Change in self-perceived stress, assessed by the Self-Perceived Stress Questionnaire
Will fit a two-way random effects model to examine the time course of stress levels.
Time frame: Baseline up to 1 year
Change in serum cortisol levels
Will fit a two-way random effects model to examine the time course of serum cortisol levels.
Time frame: Baseline up to 1 year
Change in serum epinephrine levels
Will fit a two-way random effects model to examine the time course of serum epinephrine levels.
Time frame: Baseline up to 1 year
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