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Study finds that common breast cancer treatment could speed up biological aging
The UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has found that some treatments like chemotherapy and radiation can speed up the biological aging process in breast cancer survivors.
Most of us have, in some way, been touched by cancer. It’s a pervasive disease that comes in many forms, with scientists working tirelessly toward better treatment and vaccine options. Shockingly, rates are even expected to rise by 2050.
Markers of cellular aging increased in all breast cancer survivors
It’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so there is no better time to catch up on the latest health research. Just recently, a piece of research identified 200 breast carcinogens in food packaging.
With humans so focused on beating cancer back, we sometimes forget that the treatments can be just as damaging. Now, the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has given us a not-so-gentle reminder in research published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
For the first time, we’re showing that the signals we once thought were driven by chemotherapy are also present in women undergoing radiation and surgery, said study lead author Judith Carroll. While we expected to see increased gene expression linked to biological aging in women who received chemotherapy, we were surprised to find similar changes in those who only underwent radiation or surgery.
The researchers soon discovered that all markers of cellular aging, including DNA damage response, cellular senescence, and inflammatory pathways, increased in all breast cancer survivors regardless of the treatment they received. As such, it suggests that breast cancer treatments are more destructive than previously thought despite greatly improving survival rates.
Of course, this has sparked concerns that cancer treatments could be dramatically reducing physical abilities, independence, and lifespan in a bid to keep people alive.
There was evidence of DNA damage
Through a two-year longitudinal study that tracked women undergoing breast cancer treatments, Judith Carroll and her team noticed an increased presence of DNA damage response genes, which only occur when DNA has been damaged.
The results suggest women who receive treatment for breast cancer have a pattern of gene expression that indicates increased DNA damage and inflammation, which could be important targets for recovering from cancer and having a better quality of life in survivorship, said Julienne Bower, professor of psychology in the UCLA College and psychiatry.
Judith Carroll concluded by noting how we’ve only scratched the surface of the “long-term consequences of cancer therapy” and more research is needed to understand it better.
She added: “Our goal is to find ways to improve survivorship, not just in terms of years lived, but also in quality of life and overall health.”
The teams are now conducting further research with a new biomarker for measuring aging and with special interest in external factors like exercise, stress management, and healthy sleep patterns.
