title: The effect of aromatase inhibition on the cognitive function of older patients with breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study evaluated the association between aromatase inhibitor (AI) therapy and cognitive function (over a 6-month period) in a cohort of patients aged ≥ 60 years compared with an age-matched healthy control group, and it evaluated changes in regional cerebral metabolism as measured by positron emission tomography (PET) scans of the brain done in a subset of the patient cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five patients (32 evaluable) and 35 healthy controls were recruited to this study. Patients with breast cancer completed a neuropsychological battery, self-reported memory questionnaire, and geriatric assessment before initiation of AI therapy and again 6 months later. Age-matched healthy control participants completed the same assessments at the same time points as the patient group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant decline in cognitive function was seen among individuals receiving an AI from pretreatment to 6 months later compared with healthy controls. In the PET cohort over the same period, both standardized volume of interest and statistical parametric mapping analyses detected specific changes in metabolic activity between baseline and follow-up uniquely in the AI patients, most significantly in the medial temporal lobes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although patients undergoing AI treatment had few changes in neuropsychological performance compared with healthy controls over a 6-month period, regionally specific changes in cerebral metabolic activity were identified during this interval in the patient group. Additional longitudinal follow-up is needed to understand the potential clinical implications of these findings.
authors.affiliation: City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA. Electronic address: ahurria@coh.org.
authors.forename: Arti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hurria
authors.affiliation: City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA.
authors.forename: Sunita K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA.
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mortimer
authors.affiliation: City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA.
authors.forename: Thehang
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Luu
authors.affiliation: City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Somlo
authors.affiliation: City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA.
authors.forename: Vani
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Katheria
authors.affiliation: City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA.
authors.forename: Rupal
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramani
authors.affiliation: City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA.
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA.
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.affiliation: University of California, Los Angeles, CA.
authors.forename: Cheri L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Geist
authors.affiliation: University of California, Los Angeles, CA.
authors.forename: Daniel H S
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Silverman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001141:Aromatase / Q000737:chemistry*; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011379:Prognosis; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals
chemical_list: D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D001141:Aromatase
keywords: Cognition; Elderly; Endocrine therapy; Geriatric oncology; PET scan