Air Pollution and Parkinson's Disease Pathology: Clinical Evidence and the Molecular Mechanisms Linking Airborne Toxicants to Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration.

As the population of older adults living with and beyond cancer continues to expand, increasing attention has focused on the social and psychosocial factors that shape survivorship, functional aging, and quality of life. Among these factors, loneliness and social isolation have emerged as critical, yet often under-examined, determinants of health. Although loneliness and social isolation are related constructs, they represent distinct dimensions of social experience, one reflecting perceived social disconnection and the other objective limitations in social contact or support. Both have been linked to poorer mental and physical health outcomes, diminished quality of life, functional decline, and mortality in older populations. In the context of cancer and aging, these challenges may be amplified by symptom burden, treatment effects, caregiving demands, changing social roles, and disruptions to identity and daily life. This Research Topic, , brings together diverse contributions that collectively advance understanding of how social disconnection influences survivorship experiences, psychosocial wellbeing, cognitive health, and intervention development among older adults with cancer and their care partners. Importantly, the articles included in this collection move the field beyond simply documenting prevalence toward identifying mechanisms, measurement approaches, modifiable targets, and innovative intervention strategies. Several articles in this Research Topic underscore the profound psychosocial consequences associated with loneliness and social isolation. Using data from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), examined associations between loneliness, social isolation, and health outcomes among older cancer survivors and women without a cancer history. Their findings demonstrate that loneliness and social isolation were strongly associated with poorer mental health-related quality of life and greater depressive symptoms, regardless of cancer survivorship status. These findings reinforce the broader public health importance of social disconnection while highlighting that cancer survivors may experience vulnerabilities similar to those observed in the general aging population.