Faculty Collaboration Database

Perceived cognitive changes with chemotherapy for breast cancer: A pilot study. Appl Nurs Res 2016 Feb;29:9-11

Date

02/10/2016

Pubmed ID

26856481

DOI

10.1016/j.apnr.2015.03.015

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84958801324 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   9 Citations

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine perceived cognitive functioning, fatigue, depression and general well-being among women before and after the initiation of chemotherapy for breast cancer compared to a sample of healthy women.

METHOD: This descriptive, repeated measures study compared women receiving chemotherapy and healthy women. Women completed measures of quality of life, fatigue, cognitive changes and depression.

RESULTS: Before chemotherapy, women with cancer reported more fatigue and depression than healthy women. After chemotherapy, women with cancer reported decreased cognitive functioning accompanied by more fatigue and depressive symptoms than healthy women.

CONCLUSION: This study is one of the first to use multiple symptom measures before and after starting chemotherapy. Understanding cognitive changes and related symptoms that occur before and during chemotherapy for breast cancer is the first step toward helping women cope with changes that occur with breast cancer treatment.

Author List

Piacentine LB, Miller JF, Haberlein S, Bloom AS

Author

Linda Piacentine BS,MS,NP,PhD Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing department at Marquette University

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Breast Neoplasms
Cognition
Depression
Fatigue
Female
Humans
Middle Aged
Perception
Pilot Projects