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Erschienen in:
09.04.2020 | original article
Neuropsychological functioning among patients with different types of cancer
Postchemotherapy cognitive impairment and implications for rehabilitation
Erschienen in: neuropsychiatrie | Ausgabe 2/2021
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Background
Chemotherapeutic drugs often contribute to the cognitive impairment observed in some individuals following chemotherapy treatment. Postchemotherapy cognitive impairment (PCCI) is referred to as a decline in a variety of neuropsychological measures after chemotherapy and has an acute onset.
Methods
The goals of the present study are to compare the manifestation of longitudinal PCCI among 182 patients with four different types of cancer (breast, colorectal, prostate and thyroid cancer) before chemotherapy (T1), immediately after chemotherapy (T2) and 6 months later (T3).
Results
Although no statistically significant differences were observed between the study groups in any of the cognitive domains before chemotherapy, patients with breast cancer showed significantly lower performance on all cognitive domains compared to other patients at the postchemotherapy timepoints.
Conclusions
Although cognitive difficulties are reported during and after chemotherapy for cancer, it seems that there are differences between different types of cancer. We conclude that it is particularly important to assess and manage these cognitive disorders. Management includes rehabilitation programs that can improve cognitive functions and contribute to changes in brain functions to facilitate this improvement.
