EVALUATING ASSOCIATION OF BIOMARKERS WITH POST-CANCER TREATMENT SIDE EFFECTS

Abstract

Many cancer survivors reported experiencing persistent post-cancer treatment complications. Our proposed research focuses on cancer-related fatigue (CRF) and cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI). The current understanding of the biological mechanisms underpinning these side effects had not been well-elucidated. Both symptoms share a common characteristic in having a behavioural origin which consists of both psychological and physiological component. In the first part of the thesis, we investigated biomarkers that had been implicated in breast cancer cohorts. The role of leptin, pro-inflammatory adipokines and cytokines was evaluated with CRF and CRCI. In terms of hormonal factor, we evaluated levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfated form with cognitive outcomes. The longitudinal association of biomarkers was also analyzed with the respective outcomes, while adjusting for clinically relevant covariates. For the second part, we investigated our observed trends in the adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients, notwithstanding the different age profiles and cancer types. Our overall findings have clinical applications in improved understanding of the pathophysiology, risk stratification of patients and development of targeted interventions.