title: Cognitive features 10 or more years after successful breast cancer survival: comparisons across types of cancer interventions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study examined the long-term cognitive implications of cancer treatment among breast cancer survivors aged 65 years and older to better understand the long term implications of cancer treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-seven women survivors were compared with 30 healthy older female adult comparisons, matched in terms of age and education, with no history of cancer. Cancer survivors were also compared on the basis of treatment intervention, involving chemotherapy (n = 27) versus local therapy through surgery and radiation (n = 30).
  
  
  RESULTS
  As a group, the breast cancer survivors scored lower on measures of general cognitive function, working memory, psychomotor speed, and executive function when compared with the normal comparisons. Among the cancer survivors, those who received local therapy scored lower than the other survivors and normal comparisons on measures of verbal learning, visual perception and construction, as well as visual attention and short-term retention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that cognitive outcomes may involve greater age-related deficits among older cancer survivors compared with matched healthy subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Division of Behavioral Neurology and Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242-1053, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Torricia H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Leigh J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Beglinger
authors.forename: Joseph E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cavanaugh
authors.forename: Natalie L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Denburg
authors.forename: Susan K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Schultz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D001288:Attention; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008408:Mastectomy; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014706:Verbal Learning
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents