Cancer cell rendering [Adobe Stock]
Dr. Judith Carroll, lead author of the UCLA study, stated in a press release, “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.”
The UCLA team conducted a two-year longitudinal study tracking gene expression related to aging in women undergoing a variety of breast cancer treatments. They found increased markers of cellular aging across all treatment types, including DNA damage response, cellular senescence, and inflammatory pathways.
“Results revealed activation of genes associated with biological aging in women with breast cancer from diagnosis through early survivorship, including DNA damage response, cell senescence, and the inflammatory secretome,” the study’s abstract reported.
Meanwhile, researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center analyzed data from the Sister Study, focusing on epigenetic metrics of aging in breast cancer survivors. Their findings showed faster biological aging in treated women compared to cancer-free counterparts, with radiation therapy showing a particularly strong association.
Dr. Jacob Kresovich from Moffitt explained, “We hope that these findings will contribute to the conversation of how to best treat and care for breast cancer survivors.”
With an estimated 4 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. today, understanding the long-term effects of treatments is crucial. These studies highlight the need for integrated care approaches and further research into interventions that might mitigate accelerated aging in survivors.
As Dr. Julienne Bower, senior author of the UCLA study, emphasized, “We’ve only just begun to understand the long-term consequences of cancer therapy.”
Filed Under: Oncology
