Depressed patients are less responsive to chemotherapy
ESMO.- A brain-boosting protein plays an important role in how well people respond to chemotherapy. This is what reveals a study presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Asia 2016 Congress in Singapore. According to this research, cancer patients suffering depression have decreased amounts of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in their blood. Low levels make people less responsive to cancer drugs and less tolerant of their side-effects.