TY - JOUR
T1 - Subjective and objective cognitive functioning among patients with breast cancer
T2 - effects of chemotherapy and mood symptoms
AU - Hsu, Yen Hsuan
AU - Chen, Vincent Chin Hung
AU - Hsieh, Ching Chuan
AU - Weng, Yi Ping
AU - Hsu, Ya Ting
AU - Hsiao, Han Pin
AU - Wang, Wen Ke
AU - Chen, Hong Ming
AU - Weng, Jun Cheng
AU - Wu, Shu I.
AU - Gossop, Michael
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was funded by Chang Gung Medical Foundation, Chiayi Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and Chang Gung University, Chiayi, Taiwan, Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare Clinical Trial and Research Center of Excellence (CORPG6G0101, CORPG6G0102, CORPG6G0103, CORPG6G0141, CORPG6G0142 and CORPG6G0143). SIW was partly funded by Department of Medical Research, Mackay Memorial Hospital (MMH-109112, MMH-10914, MMH-108121, MMH-108146, MMH-TT-10804, MMH-TH-10804). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, The Japanese Breast Cancer Society.
Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/1
Y1 - 2021/1
N2 - Background: Previous findings regarding declines in cognitive functioning among patients with breast cancer (BC) before and after chemotherapy have been inconsistent. The present study explored the effect of BC and cancer-related chemotherapies on cognitive functioning. Methods: A cross-sectional design was adopted to compare BC patients before their chemotherapy treatment, BC patients 3 ~ 9 months after the completion of chemotherapy, and noncancer controls. Evaluations of cognitive functioning included subjective and objective dimensions, with focus on memory, executive functioning, attention, and language. ANCOVA and Pearson’s correlation analysis were used to examine the relationship among cancer, chemotherapy, cognitive performance, and psychological distress. Results: After adjustment for intelligence quotient, anxiety, and depression, we found significant differences in the Semantic Association of Verbal Fluency between post-chemotherapy (C/T) patients and noncancer controls. Specifically, post-C/T patients scored lower than controls (p = 0.03, η2 = 0.07). No significant differences were found in other objective cognitive measures. However, both subjective and objective cognitive scores were significantly associated with depression, anxiety, and fatigue. In BC patients, levels of anxiety were positively correlated with measures of executive function. Among pre-C/T patients, self-perceived interference by fatigue was positively associated with better performances in some of the objective cognitive measures. Conclusion: Our findings suggest cognitive impairments in the domain of executive functioning among patients with BC who received chemotherapy. Providing relevant suggestions or strategies of managements for these negative consequences may help increase the long-term quality of life of patients with BC.
AB - Background: Previous findings regarding declines in cognitive functioning among patients with breast cancer (BC) before and after chemotherapy have been inconsistent. The present study explored the effect of BC and cancer-related chemotherapies on cognitive functioning. Methods: A cross-sectional design was adopted to compare BC patients before their chemotherapy treatment, BC patients 3 ~ 9 months after the completion of chemotherapy, and noncancer controls. Evaluations of cognitive functioning included subjective and objective dimensions, with focus on memory, executive functioning, attention, and language. ANCOVA and Pearson’s correlation analysis were used to examine the relationship among cancer, chemotherapy, cognitive performance, and psychological distress. Results: After adjustment for intelligence quotient, anxiety, and depression, we found significant differences in the Semantic Association of Verbal Fluency between post-chemotherapy (C/T) patients and noncancer controls. Specifically, post-C/T patients scored lower than controls (p = 0.03, η2 = 0.07). No significant differences were found in other objective cognitive measures. However, both subjective and objective cognitive scores were significantly associated with depression, anxiety, and fatigue. In BC patients, levels of anxiety were positively correlated with measures of executive function. Among pre-C/T patients, self-perceived interference by fatigue was positively associated with better performances in some of the objective cognitive measures. Conclusion: Our findings suggest cognitive impairments in the domain of executive functioning among patients with BC who received chemotherapy. Providing relevant suggestions or strategies of managements for these negative consequences may help increase the long-term quality of life of patients with BC.
KW - Cancer
KW - Cognitive functioning
KW - Neuropsychological testing
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U2 - 10.1007/s12282-020-01168-y
DO - 10.1007/s12282-020-01168-y
M3 - Article
C2 - 33030667
AN - SCOPUS:85092272089
SN - 1340-6868
VL - 28
SP - 236
EP - 245
JO - Breast Cancer
JF - Breast Cancer
IS - 1
ER -
