title: Cognition in breast cancer survivors: hormones versus depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Breast cancer survivors receiving hormone treatment and/or endorsing histories of receiving chemotherapy report changes in their cognitive capacity, which is often not supported by formal testing. To address these conflicting reports, this study examined survivors' applied cognitive capacity and its association with hormone treatment, depression, and selected demographics.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional survey design was employed. There were 357 women who completed a survey comprised of 69 questions. The survey included both investigator-developed questions and instruments from the PROMIS(®) system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant main effects for hormone therapy, race, and depression. Depression explained the largest portion of variance of the perceived decreases in cognitive function among breast cancer survivors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Survivor complaints of changes in cognitive function may be a predictor for evaluating the presence of mood disorders and less a function of hormone therapy or chemotherapy history.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Research Unit, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Seliktar
authors.forename: Carolee
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Polek
authors.forename: Ari
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hardie
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D013629:Tamoxifen
keywords: adjuvant therapy; aromatase inhibitors; breast cancer; cognition; depression; hormone therapy; tamoxifen