Treatments for cancer may potentially influence the aging process in the brain.
Cancer treatments: A double-edged sword for your brain
Cancer treatments might be your body's armored defense against the relentless foe, but they could also trigger a rapid aging process, particularly in your noggin. A recent study sheds light on the notorious side-effect known as "chemo brain," which can linger for quite some time after treatment.
In our previous piece on Medical News Today, we touched upon a study determining that chemo brain is a common occurrence among individuals undergoing cancer treatment, especially breast cancer, with patients reporting a decline in cognitive abilities. Things like memory, decision-making, and attention can be affected, making daily life a challenge.
To dig deeper into this issue, researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) focused on women who have survived breast cancer treatment and have since developed markers of advanced biological aging. These red flags come along with diminished cognitive function.
The groundbreaking study, published in Cancer, a journal of the American Cancer Society, indicates that cancer treatments can set certain aging processes into overdrive.
Brain aging: The hidden consequence of cancer treatments
Treatments prescribed for beating breast cancer may have lasting effects on a person's overall health — from brain fog and lethargy to physical discomfort.
Certain types of chemotherapy, along with radiation therapy, obliterate cancer cells by damaging their DNA. However, this lethal bite can also snatch away the life from healthy cells, pushing aging processes into high gear.
This research, overseen by Judith Carroll, an associate professor of psychiatry at the UCLA Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, drew 94 women who had undergone breast cancer treatment 3-6 years prior to the study.
Researchers examined biological aging markers such as high DNA damage levels, low telomerase activity, and shortened telomeres in blood cells. Telomerase is a vital enzyme that helps maintain telomere length, protecting cell DNA. As telomeres continue to shorten, it sends signals that the cell is aging and will soon meet its end.
Interestingly, the study indicates that those with high levels of DNA damage and low telomerase activity often struggle with executive function tasks and show poor attention, while motor speed tends to decline.
Carroll explains the findings offer additional insights into the cognitive decline observed after cancer treatment. This knowledge could pave the way for innovative interventions aimed at preventing these cognitive declines moving forward.
Carroll further believes that this study connecting biological aging markers with signs of cognitive decline following cancer treatment sets the foundation for future research, unraveling the intricate link between cancer treatments, aging, and cognitive function.
"The work is groundbreaking by identifying key factors in biological aging and connecting them to cognitive function, which initiates new avenues of research," remarks Carroll.
Enrichment Data Highlights
- Cancer treatments pose multiple mechanisms that impact cognitive functions like memory and executive function.
- Inflammation, neurotoxicity, oxidative stress, and epigenetic changes are the leading culprits behind accelerated brain aging.
- Neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and damage to prefrontal brain regions can compromise memory and executive function.
Sources:[1] American Psychological Association (APA): https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/hea-147-188.pdf[2] Aging Cell: https://academic.oup.com/agingcel/article/16/4/760/5506089[3] Oncotarget Journal: https://www.impactjournals.com/oncotarget/index.php?journal=oncotarget&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=23565[4] British Journal of Pharmacology: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1038/nm.3546[5] Frontiers in Oncology: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2020.615068/full
- Seekers of health-and-wellness, be mindful that cancer treatments, while offering a defense against cancer, may induce a swift aging process in the brain, a concerning side-effect known as "chemo brain."
- For those undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy as part of cancer treatment, particularly breast cancer treatment, remember that these treatments can damage DNA in both cancer and healthy cells, potentially pushing aging processes into overdrive.
- The aging effects of cancer treatments may lead to a decline in cognitive abilities, affecting memory, decision-making, and attention, making daily life a challenge for patients.
- A study conducted by researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) found that women who have survived breast cancer treatment and showed markers of advanced biological aging also exhibited diminished cognitive function.
- Researchers like Judith Carroll, an associate professor at UCLA, are investigating the link between cancer treatments, aging, and cognitive function, with the hope of developing innovative interventions to prevent cognitive declines.
- The study led by Carroll revealed that individuals with high levels of DNA damage and low telomerase activity often struggle with executive function tasks and show poor attention, while motor speed tends to decline.
- This research covering cancer, aging, and cognitive function demonstrates the potential for future studies to unravel the complex interplay between cancer treatments, science, and the various medical conditions that impact the body, including anti-aging mechanisms and cancer itself.
