19 July 2024 Punjab Khabarnama : Hormone modulating therapy (HMT) used for the treatment of breast cancer was associated with a 7 per cent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia later in life, according to a new study.
“Our findings emphasize the importance of being cognizant of individual patient factors when we prescribe medications or develop treatment plans for breast cancer,” said senior author Francesmary Modugno, Ph.D. M.P.H., professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and member of Magee-Womens Research Institute and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.
“It’s not one-size-fits-all. We need to think about each individual patient to optimize outcomes and minimize risks,” added Francesmary Modugno.
The study found that although HMT was linked with protection against the development of dementia overall, the association decreased with age and varied by race.
Approximately two-thirds of breast cancer patients have hormone receptor-positive tumours, which grow in response to oestrogen or progesterone. For these patients, HMT can slow tumour growth by preventing hormones from binding to certain receptors. While HMT use has been linked to increased survival, there is conflicting evidence about whether it increases or decreases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), which are debilitating conditions characterised by memory loss, changes in mood or behaviour, and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving and reasoning.To improve understanding about the risk of ADRD following HMT in breast cancer patients, Modugno, teamed up with lead author Chao Cai, Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy. They used a federal database of people aged 65 and older to identify women who were diagnosed with breast cancer between 2007 and 2009 and who did not have a previous ADRD diagnosis or history of using HMT before their breast cancer diagnosis.
Of 18,808 patients who fit the criteria, 66% had received HMT within three years of their diagnosis and 34 per cent had not. During an average of 12 years of follow-up, 24 per cent of HMT users and 28 per cent of non-HMT users developed ADRD.