Cognitive disfunctions in women with breast cancer treated with adjuvant chemotherapy: A preliminary report

Abstract

e20742 Background: Recent studies suggest that women diagnosed with breast cancer and treated with adjuvant chemotherapy may suffer cognitive deterioration. These studies, however, present a number of limitations including a small sample of patients, retrospective evaluation of cognitive skills, lack of cognitive-function measurements previous to the chemotherapy and a lack of evaluation of psycho-pathological factors that could potentially influence on the cognitive function of the subjects. The aim of this study is to present the preliminary results of a prospective study about the impact of conventional adjuvant chemotherapy on a series of cognitive domains in adult women diagnosed with breast carcinoma, monitoring frequent psycho-pathological variables such as anxiety and depression. Methods: The present is a cohort, observational study. It includes patients with a diagnosis of stage I and II breast carcinoma, treated with standard chemotherapy and able to give their consent. The protocol has 3 stages of evaluation. First evaluation: a basal measurement between diagnosis and the first chemotherapy course. The second and third evaluations are done at 8 and 14 months respectively after the first one. Each patient has been studied using a neuro-psychological battery of 17 different tests which evaluate the following cognitive domains: global cognitive functioning, intelligence, memory, language and executive functions. The levels of anxiety and depression were studied simultaneously. Further tests will be done for related samples, so as to compare changes within a group. Results: Up to date 14, patients have completed the basal battery of tests. We expect to find differences in the cognitive functions of the patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. The aforementioned differences will be controlled with psycho-pathological measurements. Conclusions: The present study will allow us to evaluate in a prospective and exhaustive way cognitive deficiencies in women with breast carcinoma treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. In addition, the use of psycho-pathological instruments will allow monitoring and understanding the neuro-psychological results in a more reliable way. No significant financial relationships to disclose.