Cognitive aging in long-term breast cancer survivors
Funded at Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research · NIH-11379139 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research explores how aging affects thinking and memory in people who survived breast cancer many years after treatment, focusing on those 65 and older.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $730,281 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA276265-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11379139 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals aged 65-80 who were treated for breast cancer 5-20 years ago and age-matched individuals without a history of cancer.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy older adults with no cancer history may participate for comparison but may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This study follows 210 breast cancer survivors diagnosed between ages 55-60 and 210 similar-aged controls, assessing cognitive function at three age bands (65-69, 70-74, 75-80) using online remote tests and standard neuropsychological measures. It also collects cancer treatment history, health conditions, medications, and other factors to understand how aging, frailty, and prior cancer interact to affect cognition. By comparing long-term survivors with non-cancer peers, the project aims to map cognitive trajectories over 5-20 years post-treatment and explore links to frailty. This approach addresses shortcomings of short-term studies by using longer intervals and three cross-sectional age groups to capture meaningful changes. The findings could help inform survivorship care and strategies to maintain brain health in aging cancer survivors.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could inform guidelines to monitor and support cognitive health and frailty management in aging breast cancer survivors.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have identified cognitive changes after cancer treatment, but this project adds long-term trajectories and frailty links in an older population.
Where this research is happening
-
Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Root, James C — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Root, James C
Related research
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.