Cross-sectional study of accelerated brain aging, atherogenicity, and neurocognition in adult survivors of childhood cancer

A cross-sectional study at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Memphis, TN) evaluated accelerated brain aging, associated with neurocognitive impairments in 253 adult survivors of childhood cancer (brain tumor, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and Hodgkin lymphoma; mean age 31.7 ± 8.6 years), compared with 43 community controls (no history of childhood cancer; mean age 31.4 ± 9.6 years). The survivors had statistically significant brain aging (on average 6.6 years older) compared with controls, which was associated with lower cognitive function and elevated biomarkers of oxidative stress, vascular health, and neuroinflammation. Female survivors who were treated with 40 Gy or higher cranial radiation before 10 years of age had the most evidence of brain aging (mean BrainAGE scores higher than 30 years older than chronological age). The authors conclude that survivors of childhood cancer had accelerated brain aging, associated with poorer neurocognitive outomes, and biomarkers of atherogenesis, compared with community controls.