Women treated for breast cancer in community oncology clinics experienced significantly greater cognitive challenges up to 6 months after receiving chemotherapy than did noncancer controls in a prospective longitudinal study involving nearly 1,000 individuals.

Participants included those with (n=581) and without breast cancer (n=364). They completed the FACT-Cog before and after chemotherapy, as well as during a follow-up exam 6 months later. Among the results:

• Women with breast cancer had significantly more cognitive difficulty, as measured by FACT-Cog total score and scores on 4 subscales.
• Increased anxiety, depression, and decreased cognitive reserve at baseline were significantly linked with lower total scores in breast cancer patients.
• 45% of patients reported a significant decline in cognitive function from pre- to postchemotherapy, vs 10% of controls.
• 37% of patients reported such from prechemotherapy to follow-up, vs 14% of controls.