A study conducted by researchers from UCLA and published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology revealed that inflammation is a potential cause of serious cognitive issues in breast cancer survivors years after treatment. The study called the Thinking and Living Cancer study (TLC), analyzed the levels of an inflammatory marker known as C-reactive protein in breast cancer survivors reporting cognitive problems.

Dr. Judith Carroll, Associate Professor at UCLA, stated that blood tests for CRP are used routinely in the clinical setting to determine the risk of heart disease. However, several studies have suggested that this common inflammation test might also help predict the risk of cognitive problems reported by breast cancer survivors. The study was conducted over five years and blood samples from hundreds of breast cancer survivors and women without cancer were collected with consent.

On analyzing the blood samples, it was found that higher CRP levels among survivors were predictive of lower cognitive functions among the cancer survivors. On the other hand, no such relationship was observed between CRP levels and reported cognition in women without cancer. 

(Source: https://theprint.in/health/study-finds-association-between-inflammation-cognitive-problems-in-breast-cancer-survivors/1151824/ )