title: The effects of adjuvant chemotherapy on cognition in women with breast cancer--preliminary results of an observational longitudinal study.
abstract: Several studies have reported that chemotherapy-treated patients have impaired cognition function relative to control groups. We are conducting a longitudinal study with cognitive assessments at baseline, 6 and 18 months. A planned preliminary analysis of data from 50 chemotherapy patients and 43 healthy controls at baseline and post-treatment found a significant group by time interaction on three measures of verbal and working memory. Chemotherapy patients were more likely to show cognitive decline than controls (OR 2.25). Patients were significantly more likely to have GHQ(12) scores indicative of possible psychological morbidity and showed significant increases in endocrine symptoms and fatigue post-treatment however neither GHQ(12) nor quality-of-life variables were related to cognitive performance.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research UK Psychosocial Oncology Group, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Falmer, East Sussex BN1 9QG, UK. v.m.shilling@sussex.ac.uk
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shilling
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Deutsch
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bloomfield
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced*; D005221:Fatigue; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity