Cognitive features 10 or more years after successful breast cancer survival: comparisons across types of cancer interventions
Cette étude américaine (57 cas et 30 témoins) analyse les capacités cognitives de survivantes d'un cancer du sein à 10 ans ou plus, en fonction de leur âge et du traitement reçu
Background The present study examined the long-term cognitive implications of cancer treatment among breast cancer survivors aged 65 years and older to better understand the long term implications of cancer treatment. Methods Fifty-seven women survivors were compared with 30 healthy older female adult comparisons, matched in terms of age and education, with no history of cancer. Cancer survivors were also compared on the basis of treatment intervention, involving chemotherapy (n = 27) versus local therapy through surgery and radiation (n = 30). Results As a group, the breast cancer survivors scored lower on measures of general cognitive function, working memory, psychomotor speed, and executive function when compared with the normal comparisons. Among the cancer survivors, those who received local therapy scored lower than the other survivors and normal comparisons on measures of verbal learning, visual perception and construction, as well as visual attention and short-term retention. Conclusions Our findings suggest that cognitive outcomes may involve greater age-related deficits among older cancer survivors compared with matched healthy subjects. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.