Association of markers of tumor aggressivity and cognition in women with breast cancer before adjuvant treatment: The Thinking and Living with Cancer Study

Alzheimer disease-related biomarkers and cancer-related cognitive decline: the Thinking and Living with Cancer study

PURPOSE

We evaluated whether plasma Alzheimer disease (AD)-related biomarkers were associated with cancer-related cognitive decline among older breast cancer survivors.

METHODS

We included survivors aged 60-90 years with primary stage 0-III breast cancers (n = 236) and frequency-matched noncancer control paricipant (n = 154) who passed a cognitive screen and had banked plasma specimens. Participants were assessed at baseline (presystemic therapy) and annually for up to 60 months. Cognition was measured using tests of attention, processing speed, and executive function and learning and memory; perceived cognition was measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function v3 Perceived Cognitive Impairments. Baseline plasma neurofilament light, glial fibrillary acidic protein, β-amyloid 42 and 40 and phosphorylated tau 181 were assayed using single molecule arrays. Mixed models tested associations between cognition and baseline AD biomarkers, time, group (survivor vs control participant), and their 2- and 3-way interactions, controlling for age, race, Wide Range 4 Achievement Test Word Reading score, comorbidity, and body mass index; 2-sided P values of .05 were considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

There were no group differences in baseline AD-related biomarkers except survivors had higher baseline neurofilament light levels than control participants (P = .013). Survivors had lower adjusted longitudinal attention, processing speed, and executive function than control participants starting from baseline and continuing over time (P ≤ .002). However, baseline AD-related biomarker levels were not independently associated with adjusted cognition over time, except control participants had lower attention, processing speed, and executive function scores with higher glial fibrillary acidic protein levels (P = .008).

CONCLUSION

The results do not support a relationship between baseline AD-related biomarkers and cancer-related cognitive decline. Further investigation is warranted to confirm the findings, test effects of longitudinal changes in AD-related biomarkers, and examine other mechanisms and factors affecting cognition presystemic therapy.

Physical Activity and Cognition: Longitudinal findings from the Thinking and Living with Cancer Study

BACKGROUND

Physical activity can improve cognition; however, little is known regarding the relationships between longitudinal objectively-measured physical activity, cognition, and inflammation in older breast cancer survivors.

METHODS

Older (≥60 yrs) breast cancer survivors (n = 216) and frequency-matched non-cancer controls (n = 216) were assessed at baseline (pre-systemic therapy for survivors) and annually for up to five years. Assessments included hip-worn ActiGraphs worn for seven days, neuropsychological tests, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function Perceived Cognitive Impairment (FACT-Cog PCI) subscale, and circulating levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effect, random-effect contemporaneous fluctuation, and multi-level mediation models, considering covariates; p < .05 (two-sided) was considered significant.

RESULTS

Survivors had fewer minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) than controls at 36-, 48-, and 60-month time points (p < .03). Fewer survivors met Aerobic Physical Activity Guidelines at 36 months than controls (17.7% vs 33.0%, p = .030). When Guidelines were met (vs not), FACT-Cog PCI scores were 2.1 ± 1.0 (p = .034) points higher. Higher MVPA and meeting Aerobic Guidelines were not related to objective neuropsychological performance. MVPA was inversely associated with CRP and IL-6 (p < .001), but inflammation did not mediate physical activity effects on perceived cognition.

CONCLUSIONS

Older breast cancer survivors were less physically active than older non-cancer controls, especially farther from baseline. Meeting Aerobic Guidelines was associated with better perceived cognition in survivors. Survivorship care should consider physical activity monitoring and referral to rehabilitation and supervised exercise programs to promote physical activity and improve recovery in older survivors.

Randomized Controlled Trial of Virtually Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia to Address Perceived Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment in Cancer Survivors

PURPOSE

Comorbid insomnia and cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) are experienced by up to 26% of individuals diagnosed with cancer. This study examined the efficacy and durability of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) on perceived CRCI in cancer survivors.

METHODS

Atlantic Canadian cancer survivors with insomnia and CRCI were randomly assigned to receive seven weekly virtual CBT-I sessions (n = 63) or placed in a waitlist control group (n = 69) to receive treatment after the waiting period. Participants completed assessments at baseline, 1 month (mid-treatment), and 2 months (post-treatment). Age- and education-adjusted mixed-effects models using intention-to-treat principles assessed change at post-treatment. Data from both groups were then pooled to assess the durability of effects at 3 and 6 months. A mediation analysis examined whether change in insomnia symptoms mediated the effect of CBT-I on cognitive outcomes.

RESULTS

The mean age of the sample was 60 years, 77% were women, and breast cancer was the most common diagnosis (41%). The treatment group reported an 11.35-point reduction in insomnia severity, compared with a 2.67-point reduction in the waitlist control group (P < .001). The treatment group had a greater overall improvement than the waitlist control on perceived cognitive impairment (P < .001; d = 0.75), cognitive abilities (P < .001; d = 0.92), and impact on quality of life (P < .001; d = 1.01). These improvements were maintained at follow-up. Change in insomnia symptoms fully mediated the effect of CBT-I on subjective cognitive outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Treating insomnia with CBT-I produces clinically meaningful and durable improvements in CRCI. There is an urgent need increase access to evidence-based treatment for insomnia in cancer centers and the community.

Prediction of cognitive decline in older breast cancer survivors: the Thinking and Living with Cancer study

PURPOSE

Cancer survivors commonly report cognitive declines after cancer therapy. Due to the complex etiology of cancer-related cognitive decline (CRCD), predicting who will be at risk of CRCD remains a clinical challenge. We developed a model to predict breast cancer survivors who would experience CRCD after systematic treatment.

METHODS

We used the Thinking and Living with Cancer study, a large ongoing multisite prospective study of older breast cancer survivors with complete assessments pre-systemic therapy, 12 months and 24 months after initiation of systemic therapy. Cognition was measured using neuropsychological testing of attention, processing speed, and executive function (APE). CRCD was defined as a 0.25 SD (of observed changes from baseline to 12 months in matched controls) decline or greater in APE score from baseline to 12 months (transient) or persistent as a decline 0.25 SD or greater sustained to 24 months. We used machine learning approaches to predict CRCD using baseline demographics, tumor characteristics and treatment, genotypes, comorbidity, and self-reported physical, psychosocial, and cognitive function.

RESULTS

Thirty-two percent of survivors had transient cognitive decline, and 41% of these women experienced persistent decline. Prediction of CRCD was good: yielding an area under the curve of 0.75 and 0.79 for transient and persistent decline, respectively. Variables most informative in predicting CRCD included apolipoprotein E4 positivity, tumor HER2 positivity, obesity, cardiovascular comorbidities, more prescription medications, and higher baseline APE score.

CONCLUSIONS

Our proof-of-concept tool demonstrates our prediction models are potentially useful to predict risk of CRCD. Future research is needed to validate this approach for predicting CRCD in routine practice settings.

Perceived Executive Functioning Deficits After Diagnosis in Women with Non-Metastatic Breast Cancer Prior to Adjuvant Therapies

BACKGROUND

Perceived deficits in executive functioning are among the many difficulties that women diagnosed with breast cancer experience. This study assessed the presence of perceived deficits in executive functioning among women with breast cancer prior to systemic treatment and radiation and associations between perceived deficits in executive function and comorbid fatigue, sleep, and mood disturbance.

METHOD

Participants were recruited following their breast cancer diagnosis and assessed using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function for Adults (BRIEF-A), subjective and objective measures of sleep duration and efficiency, and self-report measures of insomnia severity, sleep quality, fatigue, and mood disturbance. Hierarchical regression was used to examine associations between symptoms, adjusting for age and education.

RESULTS

The final sample included 92 women with a mean age of 60.7 years and 13.5 years of education. Thirteen percent of participants reported global executive dysfunction. After partitioning out variability from other independent variables, fatigue (p = < .001), perceived sleep quality (p = .030), and symptoms of insomnia (p = .008) accounted for 13.3%, 5.7%, and 8.5% of unique variance in perceived executive functioning, respectively. Emotional fatigue was most strongly associated with perceived deficits in executive functioning. Neither subjective or objective sleep duration or efficiency was associated with perceived deficits in executive functioning.

CONCLUSION

Fatigue, particularly emotional fatigue, insomnia, and poor sleep quality had the strongest associations with perceived deficits in executive functioning. Sleep interventions and fatigue management strategies may prove useful for women who seek to improve their perceived executive functioning.

The association between inflammation-related biomarkers and the subtypes of cancer-related cognitive impairment in colorectal cancer patients: A latent profile analysis

PURPOSE

Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) has garnered considerable attention, yet limited research has delved into nuanced distinctions among varying degrees of CRCI in colorectal cancer survivors. This study aimed to identify distinct subgroups based on the patterns of CRCI, assess the heterogeneity among different subgroups, and investigate the potential correlations between the subgroups of CRCI and inflammation-related biomarkers.

METHODS

268 colorectal cancer patients were enrolled in this cross-sectional study, followed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function. The determination of CRCI subgroups was accomplished by the latent profile analysis (LPA). The effects of inflammation-related biomarkers on CRCI were examined using the binary logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves assessed the diagnostic efficacy of inflammation-related biomarkers.

RESULTS

Two latent profiles were identified: CRCI (n = 64, 23.88%) and non-CRCI (n = 204, 76.12%). Independent factors for CRCI in colorectal cancer patients were SIRI (OR = 3.248, 95%CI [1.197-8.807], P = 0.021) and ALI (OR = 0.962, 95%CI [0.937-0.989], P = 0.005). The areas under the curve (AUCs) for SIRI and ALI in predicting CRCI were 0.781 and 0.774, with the optimal cut-off values being 0.70 and 37.04, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Colorectal cancer patients exhibited divergent cognitive performance profiles, categorized into two subgroups based on LPA. SIRI and ALI were identified as independent factors for CRCI, demonstrating strong diagnostic accuracy. These two inflammation-related biomarkers may potentially be novel indicators to identify and manage the development of CRCI among colorectal cancer patients.

Cancer-related cognitive impairment in racial and ethnic minority groups: a scoping review

PURPOSE

Disparities in cognitive function among racial and ethnic groups have been reported in non-cancer conditions, but cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) in racial and ethnic minority groups is poorly understood. We aimed to synthesize and characterize the available literature about CRCI in racial and ethnic minority populations.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review in the PubMed, PsycInfo, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases. Articles were included if they were published in English or Spanish, reported cognitive functioning in adults diagnosed with cancer, and characterized the race or ethnicity of the participants. Literature reviews, commentaries, letters to the editor, and gray literature were excluded.

RESULTS

Seventy-four articles met the inclusion criteria, but only 33.8% differentiated the CRCI findings by racial or ethnic subgroups. There were associations between cognitive outcomes and the participants' race or ethnicity. Additionally, some studies found that Black and non-white individuals with cancer were more likely to experience CRCI than their white counterparts. Biological, sociocultural, and instrumentation factors were associated with CRCI differences between racial and ethnic groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that racial and ethnic minoritized individuals  may be disparately affected by CRCI. Future research should use standardized guidelines for measuring and reporting the self-identified racial and ethnic composition of the sample; differentiate CRCI findings by racial and ethnic subgroups; consider the influence of structural racism in health outcomes; and develop strategies to promote the participation of members of racial and ethnic minority groups.

The high burden of symptoms associated with cognitive impairment in lung cancer patients: A latent class analysis

Objective

To explore the association between the pain-fatigue-sleep disturbance-depression symptom cluster (SC) and cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) in patients having lung cancer and to identify other factors influencing CRCI.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate 378 patients having lung cancer in China from October 2021 to July 2022. The perceived cognitive impairment scale and the general anxiety disorder-7 were used to assess patients' cognitive impairment and anxiety, respectively. The pain-fatigue-sleep disturbance-depression SC was assessed with the brief fatigue inventory, the brief pain inventory, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Athens Insomnia Scale. Latent class analysis by Mplus.7.4 was used to identify latent classes of the SC. We adjusted for covariates in the multivariable logistic regression model to examine the relationship between the pain-fatigue-sleep disturbance-depression SC and CRCI.

Results

Among patients having lung cancer, two SC classes were identified: high and low symptom burden groups. In the crude model, compared to the low symptom burden group, the high symptom group had greater odds of developing CRCI (odds ratio: 10.065, 95% confidence interval: 4.138-24.478). After adjusting for covariates, in model 1, the high symptom group still had greater odds of developing CRCI (odds ratio: 5.531, 95% confidence interval: 2.133-14.336). Additionally, a diagnosis of over 6 months, anxiety, leisure activity, and a high platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio were found to be influencing factors of CRCI (all P ​< ​0.05).

Conclusions

Our study revealed that a high symptom burden is a significant risk factor for CRCI, which may provide a new perspective for managing CRCI in lung patients having cancer.