The Effect of Breast Cancer Diagnose on Cognitive Function.

Abstract

Abstract Background: Women with breast cancer treatment complain about cognitive impairment. Previous studies indicate separately that receiving a breast cancer diagnosis has negative psychological impact and adjuvant treatment impairs cognitive functions. To investigate the impact on cognitive function is of great importance, since breast cancer is the most common cancer among women at working age in Sweden. We have started a longitudinal study to investigate if the effects of receiving a breast cancer diagnosis may affect cognitive functions. Materials and methods: The study is dimensioned for 148 subjects. The subjects were recruited consecutively and prospectively from the mammography-screening program at South Hospital, Stockholm. Those women who were recalled for further triple diagnosis assessment were invited to participate in our study. According to the results of the diagnostic process the patients were grouped in to: healthy women (n=69) and women with breast cancer (n=79). All participants were examined by a web-based battery of neuropsychological tests at inclusion (T1) and after diagnosis and subsequent surgery (T2). We measured four cognitive domains (Response speed, Processing speed, Memory and Attention). Results: Our results show that neither the healthy women nor patients with a recent breast cancer diagnosis with its subsequent surgery demonstrate any tendency toward a cognitive decline in any measured domains. The result did not differ significantly with regard to age, educational level or other demographic variables. Conclusions: The results may be interpreted to suggest that receiving a breast cancer diagnosis and/or surgery may not be associated to a substantial cognitive decline. Cognitive functions are not related with secondary depression and anxiety due to cancer diagnosis. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 4091.