Breast cancer survivors in a Korean cohort study showed an 8% lower risk of Alzheimer's disease compared to cancer-free controls, especially among individuals 65 years or older, with the protective association not persisting over longer survival. Among treatment modalities, only radiation therapy was significantly associated with reduced Alzheimer's disease risk. The study addressed limitations of prior research by incorporating competing risk analysis and adjusting for various potential confounders. The researchers proposed biological explanations for the observed associations and concluded that breast cancer treatment does not directly lead to Alzheimer's disease.

Source: JAMA Network Open