For all patients, the average time since the completion of last nonhormonal therapy was 2 years. Cognitive Function in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Standard-Dose Adjuvant Chemotherapy. Princess Margaret Hospital and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Effects of CT on cognition are difficult to evaluate because they may be subtle, and because of potential confounding factors such as the cognitive effects of mood alterations resulting from the diagnosis of a life-threatening illness. Mean scores for each group were compared for each measure.
Higher scores indicate worse cognitive functioning.
Standard-dose adjuvant CT for BC may adversely affect cognitive function. If these findings are confirmed in future studies, it will be important to inform patients of this effect, and to investigate the potential mechanisms involved. No differences on the POMS or Trails B measures were found between the two treatment arms as predicted, given that the only difference between the two treatment arms was the presence or absence of warfarin. Emotional state, measured by the POMS, did not differ between the groups or change significantly over time in this study of small-cell lung cancer patients treated with a combination of chemotherapy and RT plus or minus warfarin. However, the pattern of relatively stable POMS scores and poorer Trails B performance post-RT suggested that this combination of chemotherapy and RT had a negative impact on cognitive functioning.