Breast cancer plus adjuvant chemotherapy- related cognitive impairment: a case study

ABSTRACT

Breast cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI), a frequent concomitant of cancer diagnosis and management, has been difficult to measure objectively. This study longitudinally investigated cognitive function in an individual before and after breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Comparison of test scores pre- and post- diagnosis/treatment revealed declines in multiple cognitive domains, including Performance IQ, processing speed, immediate auditory and visual memory, and delayed visual memory. Twelve years later, improvements were noted in domains of processing speed, memory and executive functioning. The results highlight the importance of heeding individuals’ subjective reports of cognitive decline, and offer hope that such decrements may not be permanent.

KEYWORDS:

• Breast cancer
• cancer related cognitive impairment
• pre- and post- cognitive testing
• neuropsychology
• chemotherapy

Acknowledgments

The author acknowledges William T. Hoyt for his assistance with statistical analysis and Andrew Saykin for his assistance in reviewing the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Consent

The patient described in this paper has provided written consent to the inclusion of material pertaining to herself; she has acknowledged that she cannot be identified via the paper, and has been fully anonymized.