Cancer patients are vulnerable to neuroendocrine dysregulation, implicating cancer progression and poorer health outcomes. Resilience through spirituality may promote better adjustment to cancer diagnosis. This study examined the degree to which patients' spirituality is associated with neuroendocrine biomarkers of colorectal cancer patients and the moderating role of Hispanic ethnicity. Domains of spirituality (FACIT-Sp: meaning, faith, and peace) and ethnicity (Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic) were self-reported. Cortisol, alpha amylase (sAA), and DHEA-s were assayed from saliva samples collected at waking and bedtime on seven consecutive days. Mean levels and diurnal slopes over seven days were calculated. Age and cancer stage were covariates. Patients reported moderate to high levels of meaning, faith, and peace, and displayed lower levels of cortisol, sAA, and DHEA-s and blunted diurnal slopes over a day. General linear modeling revealed that greater faith was associated with lower levels of cortisol and DHEA-s at waking (|B| ≥ -0.477, p ≤ .042). Greater peace was associated with steeper sAA diurnal slope (B = 0.021, p = .005). Hispanic patients with greater faith showed lower levels of sAA at waking and at bedtime (B ≤ -125.305, p ≤ .018), and steeper sAA diurnal slope (B = 0.028, p = .022), which was not seen among non-Hispanic patients. Findings highlight that making peace with a cancer diagnosis and drawing on one's faith, particularly among Hispanic patients, protects against neuroendocrine dysregulation. Spirituality-based interventions may facilitate health-promoting adjustments of Hispanics during the early cancer survivorship phase.
