%0 Journal Article %J Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders %D 2022 %T Does a Cancer Diagnosis in Mid-to-Later Life Modify Racial Disparities in Memory Aging? %A Eastman, Marisa R %A Ospina-Romero, Monica %A Westrick, Ashly C %A Jasdeep S Kler %A M. Maria Glymour %A Abdiwahab, Ekland %A Lindsay C Kobayashi %K cancer diagnosis %K Memory %K Racial Disparities %X

BACKGROUND: It is unknown whether an incident cancer diagnosis differentially impacts acute and long-term memory aging between older White and Black Americans.

METHODS: Incident cancer diagnoses and memory (immediate and delayed recall, combined with proxy-reported memory) were assessed at biennial study interviews in the US Health and Retirement Study (N=14,235, 1998-2016). We used multivariable segmented linear mixed-effects models to evaluate the rate of change in standardized memory score (SD/decade) in the years before, acutely at the time of, and in the years following an incident cancer diagnosis, compared to cancer-free adults, by race.

RESULTS: Black participants experienced faster memory decline than White participants (cancer-free group: -1.211 vs. -1.077; P<0.0001). An incident cancer diagnosis was associated with an acute memory drop in White, but not Black participants (-0.065 vs. 0.024; P<0.0001). However, White cancer survivors experienced slower memory decline than cancer-free White adults before and after diagnosis, but this memory advantage was not observed among Black cancer survivors.

CONCLUSIONS: Racial disparities in memory aging are not modified by an incident cancer diagnosis. The acute cancer-related memory decline and long-term memory advantage experienced by White, but not Black, cancer survivors relative to cancer-free older adults, requires further investigation.

%B Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders %V 36 %P 140-147 %G eng %N 2 %R 10.1097/WAD.0000000000000493