For older breast cancer survivors, cognitive problems may be linked to inflammation, study shows

Key takeaways:Women over 60 make up the majority of the nearly 4 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.Previous studies of cognition have focused largely on younger survivors in the short term.Self-reports of cognitive issues among older survivors were related to higher levels of an inflammatory marker in the body called CRP.Scientists are still trying to understand why many breast cancer survivors experience troubling cognitive problems for years after treatment. Inflammation is one possible culprit. A long-term study of older breast cancer survivorsrecently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and co-led by UCLA researchers adds important evidence to that potential link.Higher levels of an inflammatory marker known as C-reactive protein, or CRP,wererelated to reports of cognitive issues among oldersurvivors in the new study.“Blood tests for CRP are used routinely in the clinic to determine risk of heart disease. Our study suggests this common test for inflammation might also be an indicator of risk for cognitive problems reported by breast cancer survivors,” saidlead studyauthor Judith Carroll, an associate professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences anda member of theCousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at UCLA and the  UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.The study is one of the first long-term efforts to examine the potential link between chronic inflammation and cognition in breast cancer survivors 60 and older, who make up a majority o...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news