A NEW study has revealed that cognitive decline in older adults diagnosed with hematologic malignant neoplasms (HMNs) follows a similar trajectory to the cognitive decline seen in normal ageing. The cohort study, involving 668 older adults diagnosed with HMNs and 1,994 matched individuals without cancer, aimed to assess cognitive function before, during, and after cancer diagnosis.
The study, conducted using data from the Health and Retirement Study, compared cognitive decline between the two groups over a period extending from 1992 to 2020. Researchers found that prior to diagnosis, both groups experienced similar rates of cognitive decline. Additionally, cognitive decline surrounding the time of diagnosis was comparable for both groups.
Interestingly, after one-year post-diagnosis, the rate of cognitive decline in the HMN group was slower than in the control group. However, this difference became statistically insignificant after accounting for the competing risk of death, suggesting that mortality may play a significant role in the observed cognitive trajectory.
The study’s findings suggest that cognitive decline in older adults with HMNs does not accelerate significantly compared to normal ageing. This insight could improve patient counselling and management for older adults diagnosed with HMNs, as it suggests that cognitive function may not be as heavily impacted by cancer diagnoses as previously thought.
The study provides valuable data for understanding cancer-related cognitive outcomes, offering a clearer picture of cognitive health in older adults with hematologic malignancies.
Helena Bradbury, EMJ
Reference
Huang LW et al. Cognitive trajectories in older adults diagnosed with hematologic malignant neoplasms. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(8):e2431057.
