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Decline in Cognitive Function in Older Adults With Early-Stage Breast Cancer After Adjuvant Treatment.

ABSTRACT: The impact of chemotherapy on cognition among elderly patients has received little attention, although such patients are more prone to presenting with age-related cognitive deficits and/or cognitive decline during chemotherapy. The present study assessed the cognitive function in older adults treated for early-stage breast cancer (EBC).The participants were newly diagnosed EBC patients aged ?65 years without previous systemic treatment or neurological or psychiatric disease and matched healthy controls. They underwent two assessments: before starting adjuvant therapy and after the end of chemotherapy (including doxorubicin ± docetaxel [CT+ group], n = 58) or radiotherapy for patients who did not receive chemotherapy (CT- group, n = 61), and at the same interval for the healthy controls (n = 62). Neuropsychological and geriatric assessments were performed. Neuropsychological data were analyzed using the Reliable Change Index.Forty-nine percent of the patients (mean age, 70 ± 4 years) had objective cognitive decline after adjuvant treatment that mainly concerned working memory. Among these patients, 64% developed a cognitive impairment after adjuvant treatment. Comorbidity was not associated with cognitive decline. No significant difference in objective cognitive decline was found between the two groups of patients; however, the CT+ group had more subjective cognitive complaints after treatment (p = .008). The oldest patients (aged 70-81 years) tended to have more objective decline with docetaxel (p = .05).This is the largest published study assessing cognitive function in older adults with EBC that included a group of patients treated with modern chemotherapy regimens. Approximately half the patients had objective cognitive decline after adjuvant treatment. The oldest patients were more likely to have cognitive decline with chemotherapy, particularly with docetaxel.This is the largest published study assessing cognitive function in older adults with early-stage breast cancer that included a group of patients treated with modern chemotherapy regimens. Approximately half the patients had objective cognitive decline after adjuvant treatment. The oldest patients were more likely to have cognitive decline with chemotherapy, particularly with docetaxel. Cognitive deficits could affect patients' quality of life and their compliance to treatment. Assessing cognitive dysfunctions in the elderly cancer population is a challenge in clinical practice, but it could influence the choice of the most appropriate therapy, including the use of oral drugs.

SUBMITTER: Lange M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5189619 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Decline in Cognitive Function in Older Adults With Early-Stage Breast Cancer After Adjuvant Treatment.

Lange Marie M Heutte Natacha N Rigal Olivier O Noal Sabine S Kurtz Jean-Emmanuel JE Lévy Christelle C Allouache Djelila D Rieux Chantal C Lefel Johan J Clarisse Bénédicte B Veyret Corinne C Barthélémy Philippe P Longato Nadine N Castel Hélène H Eustache Francis F Giffard Bénédicte B Joly Florence F

The oncologist 20160729 11

<h4>Background</h4>The impact of chemotherapy on cognition among elderly patients has received little attention, although such patients are more prone to presenting with age-related cognitive deficits and/or cognitive decline during chemotherapy. The present study assessed the cognitive function in older adults treated for early-stage breast cancer (EBC).<h4>Patients and methods</h4>The participants were newly diagnosed EBC patients aged ≥65 years without previous systemic treatment or neurologi ...[more]

PMID: 27473044

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Group-based trajectory modeling is particularly important to identify subgroups of patients with pathological cognitive changes after cancer treatment. To date, only one study has explored cognitive trajectories in older patients with cancer. The present article describes objective cognitive changes before to after adjuvant treatment in older adults with early-stage breast cancer (EBC) after adjuvant treatment compared with healthy controls. PATIENTS AND METHODS:Participants were patients ?65 years of age with newly diagnosed EBC and healthy controls (age-, sex-, and education-matched). The pretreatment assessment was conducted before adjuvant therapy, and the post-treatment assessment after the end of the first adjuvant treatment. Objective cognitive changes before to after treatment were evaluated based on the Reliable Change Index for cognitive decline accounting for cognitive impairment status. RESULTS:The sample consisted of women newly diagnosed with EBC (n?=?118) and healthy controls (n?=?62). Five patterns of changes before to after treatment were identified based on the presence of cognitive decline and cognitive impairment. The distribution of these five change patterns was statistically significant (p?=?.0001). Thirty-six percent of patients had phase shift changes, 31% without initial objective cognitive impairment developed impairment, 15% had a normal aging, 12% had a nonpathological decline, and 6% experienced accelerated cognitive decline. CONCLUSION:This study described for the first time objective cognitive changes before to after treatment of older adults with EBC immediately after the end of adjuvant treatment. A longer-term remote follow-up of adjuvant treatment is needed to better understand the cognitive trajectories of older patients with EBC. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE:After the end of adjuvant treatment, 31% of older adults with early-stage breast cancer without initial objective cognitive impairment developed impairment, and 6% experienced accelerated cognitive decline. Initial cognitive functioning should be included in the balance of benefits and harms of systemic therapy for patients who are likely to be at highest risk for cognitive decline after cancer treatments. Regular cognitive follow-up of patients who had cognitive impairment before cancer treatment should monitor symptoms suggestive of neurodegenerative disease and avert the effect of cognitive disorders on patients' autonomy.

Dataset Information

Decline in Cognitive Function in Older Adults With Early-Stage Breast Cancer After Adjuvant Treatment.

Publications

Decline in Cognitive Function in Older Adults With Early-Stage Breast Cancer After Adjuvant Treatment.

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