Journal
JNCI-JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
Volume 97, Issue 11, Pages 854-856Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC
DOI: 10.1093/jnci/dji137
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Previous studies have shown that cancer survivors frequently experience short-term cognitive deficits, but it is unknown how long these deficits last or whether they worsen over time. Using a co-twin control design, the cognitive function of 702 cancer survivors aged 65 years and older was compared with that of their cancer-free twins. Dementia rates were also compared in 486 of the twin pairs discordant for cancer. Cancer survivors overall, as well as individuals who had survived cancer for 5 or more years before cognitive testing, were more likely than their co-twins to have cognitive dysfunction (odds ratio [OR] 2.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.36 to 3.24; P < .001; and OR = 2.71, 95% CI = 1.47 to 5.01; P < .001, respectively). Cancer survivors were also twice as likely to be diagnosed with dementia as their co-twins, but this odds ratio did not reach statistical significance (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 0.86 to 4.67; P = .10). These results suggest that cancer patients are at increased risk for long-term cognitive dysfunction compared with individuals who have never had cancer, even after controlling for the influence of genetic factors and rearing environment.
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