Feasibility and value of salivary cortisol sampling to reflect distress in head and neck cancer patients undergoing chemoradiation: A proof-of-concept study.

Background: Head and neck cancer (HNC) patients undergoing chemo/radiation commonly experience severe and persistent distress associated with treatment related fear and physical side effects such as xerostomia, dysphagia, and dryness of mouth. Cortisol, a stress sensitive hormone, can be easily measured in saliva to reflect biobehavioral responses to such stressors. Unfortunately, it has not been used in this population due to concerns associated with chemoradiation (C/RT) related xerostomia.

Methods: In a proof-of-concept study, we explored the feasibility of collecting salivary cortisol as a marker of fear and distress in HNC patients. Ten HNC subjects undergoing C/RT provided saliva samples for 3 consecutive days across three timepoints (pre-treatment, 3-weeks and 1-month post-treatment) and completed concurrent depression, anxiety and swallowing related fear measures.

Results: Salivary cortisol collection adherence was between 80-60%. It was not impacted by xerostomia. Diurnal cortisol pattern demonstrated dysregulation at pretreatment in 62%, and flattened aberrant slopes continued at 3-weeks and beyond in 50% of subjects.

Conclusions: Our study supports the feasibility and utility of salivary cortisol measurement in HNC patients across the treatment trajectory. Diurnal cortisol measures may be a valuable tool to detect and monitor treatment distress during C/RT in this population.