title: Perceived cognitive changes with chemotherapy for breast cancer: A pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine perceived cognitive functioning, fatigue, depression and general well-being among women before and after the initiation of chemotherapy for breast cancer compared to a sample of healthy women.
  
  
  METHODS
  This descriptive, repeated measures study compared women receiving chemotherapy and healthy women. Women completed measures of quality of life, fatigue, cognitive changes and depression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before chemotherapy, women with cancer reported more fatigue and depression than healthy women. After chemotherapy, women with cancer reported decreased cognitive functioning accompanied by more fatigue and depressive symptoms than healthy women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is one of the first to use multiple symptom measures before and after starting chemotherapy. Understanding cognitive changes and related symptoms that occur before and during chemotherapy for breast cancer is the first step toward helping women cope with changes that occur with breast cancer treatment.
authors: College of Nursing, Marquette University, P.O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53201-1881. Electronic address: linda.piacentine@marquette.edu.
authors: Linda B
authors: LB
authors: Piacentine
authors: Sinclair School of Nursing, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, 65211. Electronic address: millerjud@missouri.edu.
authors: Judith Fitzgerald
authors: JF
authors: Miller
authors: College of Nursing, Marquette University, P.O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53201-1881. Electronic address: sara.haberlein@marquette.edu.
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Haberlein
authors: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226. Electronic address: abloom@mcw.edu.
authors: Alan S
authors: AS
authors: Bloom
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D010865:Pilot Projects
keywords: Breast cancer; Chemotherapy; Cognitive changes; Depression; Fatigue; Well-being