A new study from South Korea found that women who survived breast cancer had an 8 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease over an average of 7.3 years.
To reach this conclusion, the researchers looked at health records from over 70,000 women treated for breast cancer and compared them to more than 180,000 women without cancer. They found that fewer breast cancer survivors got Alzheimer's; for every 1,000 women tracked for a year, about 2.45 breast cancer survivors developed Alzheimer's, compared to 2.63 women without cancer.
While the difference is small, it could still matter when looking at large groups or over a longer time. The lower risk was most noticeable in women over 65, likely because Alzheimer's is more common in older people.
The biggest drop in risk was seen in women who had radiation therapy. However, this benefit seemed to fade over time. This change might suggest that radiation affects the brain in ways we don't fully understand yet, possibly by reducing brain inflammation.
"A substantial number of breast cancer survivors report cancer-related cognitive impairment, experiencing difficulties in concentration and memory during and after cancer treatment," the researchers concluded.
"However, evidence regarding the risk of Alzheimer's dementia among breast cancer survivors remains mixed and inconclusive and may vary by age at diagnosis, treatment received, and time since treatment."
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