Teens and young adults who have survived cancer appear to age faster than people of the same age who have never had cancer, according to a new study. Scientists have discovered signs of premature aging not only in cells, but also in brain performance such as memory, attention, and information processing ability.
The survey results are nature communications. The study was led by Dr. Annalynn Williams of the Wilmot Cancer Institute at the University of Rochester and co-corresponding author Dr. Kevin Krull of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Lifestyle changes may reverse biological aging
There may be encouraging news ahead. The ongoing research at Wilmot suggests that some of the accelerated aging seen in younger survivors could potentially be slowed or reversed by healthy habits such as quitting smoking, regular exercise and improving diet, Williams said.
“Young cancer survivors have many more decades to live,” she says. “So if these accelerated aging changes occur earlier and are on a different trajectory, the goal is to intervene to not only extend their lifespan, but also improve their quality of life.”
Many survivors who were treated as children or adolescents finish school, start careers, become independent, and work to start families. Cognitive issues can make it difficult to reach these milestones.
“It’s kind of the perfect storm,” Williams said. “This is why we see many survivors have worse educational and employment outcomes than their siblings.”
Williams, who is also a cancer survivor, is an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery and participates in Wilmot’s Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program, which focuses on reducing long-term symptoms in survivors.
Studies tracking long-term survivors
The study included approximately 1,400 participants treated at St. Jude. All had been at least five years removed from cancer treatment, and some had survived for decades. Most were being treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or Hodgkin lymphoma.
Researchers found evidence that biological aging is accelerated regardless of the type of treatment received during childhood. however, chemotherapy was associated with the greatest acceleration. Chemotherapy appears to have the strongest impact on the aging process, as it can alter DNA structure and cause extensive cell damage.
Relationship between biological age and brain function
Researchers also identified a close relationship between cellular aging and cognitive performance. Survivors whose biological age was older than their actual chronological age had more difficulty with memory and attention.
Williams said that for people who have received radiation directly to the brain, preventing further deterioration is the priority.
Scientists are currently trying to pinpoint when accelerated aging begins. That research is underway at Wilmot.
In a recent pilot study, Dr. Williams examined tissue and cell samples taken from 50 Hodgkin lymphoma patients before and after treatment and compared them with samples from 50 healthy people. She worked with John Ashton, Ph.D., MBA, Director of Genomics Shared Resources at Wilmot, to analyze the data to determine whether the aging process begins during treatment or progresses after several years.
Other Wilmot researchers are conducting related studies in women with breast cancer and older people with leukemia, with the aim of finding ways to reverse treatment-related aging. Recent studies have already demonstrated that exercise can help prevent cancer-related aging.
The National Cancer Institute funded Williams’ research.
