Work

Polymorphisms in Catecholaminergic and Serotonergic Genes are Associated with Self-Reported Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Breast Cancer

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Neurotransmitters such as catecholamines and serotonin are involved in various aspects of cognitive function. Study extends previous work by evaluating the associations between cancer-related cognitive impairment and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for 15 candidate genes in patients classified in the high vs low-moderate attentional function classes. METHODS: In this exploratory, candidate gene association study, self-reported attentional function was evaluated in 397 patients with breast cancer using the Attentional Function Index before surgery and for 6 months after surgery. Using growth mixture modeling, three attentional function latent classes were identified: High (41.6%), moderate (25.4%), and low-moderate (33.0%). An extreme phenotype approach was used for this analysis. One hundred and eighty-nine SNPs among 15 genes were included in the candidate gene analyses. RESULTS: Compared to the high class, patients in the low-moderate class were younger, more likely to have a lower household income, had a higher body mass index, lower functional status, higher comorbidity burden, and were more likely to have received neoadjuvant treatment. In the multivariable models, which included self-reported and genomic estimates of race/ethnicity, age, Karnofsky Performance Status score, and Self-administered Comorbidity Questionnaire score, five SNPs for five different genes remained significant (ie, ADRA1D rs2326478, ADRB2 rs1042718, SLC6A2 rs47958, HTR3A rs10160548, SLC6A4 rs8076005). CONCLUSIONS: Findings provide preliminary evidence of associations between self-reported cancer-related cognitive impairment profiles in patients with breast cancer and polymorphisms for catecholaminergic and serotonergic genes.

Source: Seminars in Oncology Nursing

DOI: 10.1016/j.soncn.2026.152401