The Association of Psychological Stress with the Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Therapy in Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor among women. Approximately 19% to 30% of patients with breast cancer achieve a pathological complete response (pCR) following neoadjuvant therapy, while about 5% to 20% of patients experience disease progression. Increasing evidence suggests the significant role of psychological factors in influencing cancer treatment outcomes. Cancer patients often experience emotional distress, including fear of relapse, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, which may persist for many years. Statistics indicate that the incidence of anxiety and depression among cancer patients is 49.69% and 54.90%, respectively, significantly higher than that of healthy individuals (anxiety: 18.37%, depression: 17.50%) in China. There are indications that emotional issues may be linked to cancer treatment, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the relationship between anxiety and depression and the effectiveness of standard neoadjuvant therapy in patients with breast cancer.