LAUSR

Background Cancer survivors are at risk of increased comorbidity after cancer treatments and often have poorer physical function than peers without cancer. Coupled with declines in physical health, many patients experience lasting behavioral symptoms after cessation of treatments including fatigue, worse cognitive function, and depressive symptoms. We tested the hypothesis that cancer treatments are related to aging pathways that promote inflammation, and that these markers may be associated with behavioral symptoms. Methods We evaluated 94 women (80% White) who had completed treatment for early-stage breast cancer 3–7 years previously. Participants completed neuropsychological testing, questionnaires, and provided blood for assessment of circulating inflammatory cytokines, leukocyte DNA damage, and peripheral blood mononuclear cell telomerase enzymatic activity and telomere length. Results Women who had received chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy had higher DNA damage and lower telomerase than women with neither treatment (p’s  Conclusions Years after treatment completion, patients who had received chemotherapy and/or radiation exhibited signs of cellular aging, which were in turn associated with elevated inflammatory markers and behavioral symptoms. Prospective studies are needed to determine whether treatment-induced accelerated aging may lead to inflammation and associated behavioral disturbances in cancer survivors.