Telomere lengths in women treated for breast cancer show associations with chemotherapy, pain symptoms, and cognitive domain measures: a longitudinal study

BACKGROUND: Survival rates for breast cancer (BC) have improved, but quality of life post-diagnosis/treatment can be adversely affected, with survivors reporting a constellation of psychoneurological symptoms (PNS) including stress, anxiety, depression, pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and cognitive dysfunction. METHODS: To assess a potential relationship between telomere length (TL) and the development/persistence of PNS, we longitudinally studied 70 women (ages 23–71) with early stage BC (I-IIIA) at 5 time-points: prior to treatment (baseline), the mid-point of their chemotherapy cycle, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years following the initiation of chemotherapy. Measures quantified included assessments of each of the PNS noted above and TL [using both a multiplex qPCR assay and a chromosome-specific fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay]. RESULTS: Variables associated with qPCR mean TLs were age (p = 0.004) and race (T/S ratios higher in Blacks than Whites; p = 0.019). Significant differences (mostly decreases) in chromosome-specific TLs were identified for 32 of the 46 chromosomal arms at the mid-chemo time-point (p = 0.004 to 0.049). Unexpectedly, the sequential administration of doxorubicin [Adriamycin], cyclophosphamide [Cytoxan], and docetaxel [Taxotere] (TAC regimen) was consistently associated with higher TLs, when compared to TLs in women receiving a docetaxel [Taxotere], Carboplatin [Paraplatin], and trastuzumab [Herceptin] [TCH] chemotherapy regimen [association was shown with both the qPCR and FISH assays (p = 0.036)]. Of the PNS, pain was significantly negatively associated with TL (higher pain; shorter telomeres) for a subset of chromosomal arms (5q, 8p, 13p, 20p, 22p, Xp, Xq) (p = 0.014–0.047). Chromosomal TLs were also associated with 7 of the 8 cognitive domains evaluated, with the strongest relationship being noted for chromosome 17 and the visual memory domain (shorter telomeres; lower scores). CONCLUSIONS: We showed that race and age were significantly associated with telomere length in women treated for early stage BC and that acquired telomere alterations differed based on the woman’s treatment regimen. Our study also demonstrated that pain and cognitive domain measures were significantly related to telomere values in this study cohort. Expanding upon the knowledge gained from this longitudinal study could provide insight about the biological cascade of events that contribute to PNS related to BC and/or its treatment. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13058-020-01368-6.