Changes in Methylation-based Aging in Women Who Do and Do Not Develop Breast Cancer

Background: Breast cancer survivors have increased incidence of age-related diseases, suggesting that some survivors may experience faster biological aging.

Methods: Among 417 women enrolled in the prospective Sister Study cohort, DNA methylation data were generated on paired blood samples collected an average of 7.7 years apart and used to calculate 3 epigenetic metrics of biological aging (PhenoAgeAccel, GrimAgeAccel, and Dunedin Pace of Aging Calculated from the Epigenome [DunedinPACE]). Approximately half (n = 190) the women sampled were diagnosed and treated for breast cancer between blood draws, whereas the other half (n = 227) remained breast cancer-free. Breast tumor characteristics and treatment information were abstracted from medical records.

Results: Among women who developed breast cancer, diagnoses occurred an average of 3.5 years after the initial blood draw and 4 years before the second draw. After accounting for covariates and biological aging metrics measured at baseline, women diagnosed and treated for breast cancer had higher biological aging at the second blood draw than women who remained cancer-free as measured by PhenoAgeAccel (standardized mean difference [β] = 0.13, 95% confidence interval [CI) = 0.00 to 0.26), GrimAgeAccel (β = 0.14, 95% CI = 0.03 to 0.25), and DunedinPACE (β = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.24 to 0.50). In case-only analyses assessing associations with different breast cancer therapies, radiation had strong positive associations with biological aging (PhenoAgeAccel: β = 0.39, 95% CI = 0.19 to 0.59; GrimAgeAccel: β = 0.29, 95% CI = 0.10 to 0.47; DunedinPACE: β = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.02 to 0.48).

Conclusions: Biological aging is accelerated following a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Breast cancer treatment modalities appear to differentially contribute to biological aging.