Abstract
2084 Background: Cognitive symptoms can occur among cancer patients, though the incidence and severity vary across cancer type, location, treatment and time. Some have argued that subjective cognitive symptoms reflect patients' mood or fatigue more than objective cognitive functioning per se and there are studies showing no correlation between complaints and performance. Methods: The present study describes the correlations at baseline between subjective cognitive symptoms (FACT-Brain symptoms subscale), fatigue (FACT-Fatigue) and mood (Profile of Mood States) and objective cognitive performance (Controlled Oral Word Association Test, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised, Digit Span Test, Trail Making Test, Grooved Pegboard and summary Cognitive Composite Score [CCS]), among 82 brain cancer survivors who are ≥ 6 months post partial or whole brain irradiation participating in a phase III clinical trial of an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, donepezil. Results: The sample (mean age = 52 yrs.; 50% female; 83% > HS) had primary (n = 52, 63%) and metastatic (n = 30, 37%) brain tumors. Significant bivariate correlations between the FACT-Br and the CCS (r = 0.42, p < 0.0001) and 7 of 10 cognitive tests (range:-0.26 to 0.44, p < 0.05) indicate that more symptoms predicted poorer performance. Neither overall fatigue (r = 0.19, p = 0.08) nor distressed mood (r = -0.05, p = 0.67) was associated with CCS. Adjusting for tumor type (primary vs. metastatic), age, education, fatigue, QOL, sex and race revealed a very similar pattern. Conclusions: Among 6+ month survivors of brain irradiation, there is an association between objective cognitive performance and subjective cognitive symptoms while mood and fatigue are minimally related to performance. Self-reported cognitive problems are not a substitute for cognitive performance measures, however they can be a valid and useful indicator of well-being and used as a clinical outcome in this population. This study was supported by Eisai, Inc., and NIH grants NCI/DCP 2 U10 CA 81851-09-13 and NINR 5R01NR009675. Author Disclosure Employment or Leadership Position Consultant or Advisory Role Stock Ownership Honoraria Research Funding Expert Testimony Other Remuneration Eisai Pfizer Eisai Eisai, Pfizer
Published Version
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