The cancer be you is most common in women. It accounts for more than a third of all new cases of female cancers. In France, it still kills 12,000 patients each year.
“A breast cancer results from a disruption of certain cells which multiply and most often form a mass called a tumour. There are different types which do not evolve in the same way. Some are aggressive and evolve very quickly, d ‘others more slowly,’ describes the National Cancer Institute.
On the eve of the launch of Pink October, the month that puts the fight against breast cancer in the spotlight, a new study who was interested after cancer appeared within the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
The researchers explained that some breast cancer survivors tend to encounter cognitive problems for years after treatment.
Cognitive disorders after breast cancer: inflammation would be involved
L’inflammation generated by breast cancer is a possible culprit, scientists believe. “Blood tests are routinely used in the clinic to determine the risk of heart disease. Our study suggests that this common test for inflammation could also be an indicator of the risk of cognitive problems reported by breast cancer survivors,” said the study’s lead author, Judith Carroll, associate professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences and faculty member of the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at UCLA.
Thus, higher levels ofan inflammatory marker known as “C-reactive protein” (CRP) may be linked to cognitive problems reported by survivors after their breast cancer, the study explains.
Researchers were keen to examine the potential link between chronic inflammation and cognition in breast cancer survivors aged 60 and older. It turns out that the majority of patients in remission are in this age group.
Breast cancer: some patients experience memory problems after
The researchers observed blood samples from hundreds of breast cancer survivors and healthy women for 5 years. The study was launched as many patients testified about their cognitive problems after cancer.
“Cognitive problems affect daily life of women years after completion of treatment, and their reports of their own ability to perform tasks and to remember things were the best predictor in this study,” said study co-author Dr. Jeanne Mandelblatt, professor of oncology at Georgetown University.
The cognition of each woman was assessed using a questionnaire. Their memory was taken into account as well as their ability to concentrate after the illness. The study found that survivor outcomes were indicative of a impaired cognitive function.
Breast cancer: what solutions to reduce inflammation?
The authors believe that their study highlights a need for research into whether certain interventions can reduce the inflammation caused by breast cancer (implicated for cognitive impairment). The researchers suggest a few avenues such as practice of physical activitya better sleep or even anti-inflammatory drugs. These solutions could potentially prevent or reduce cognitive problems in breast cancer survivors.