Predictors of cognitive decline in people with cancer undergoing chemotherapy

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of demographic factors, disease/treatment-related factors, and psychological factors on cognitive function.

A cross-sectional study was conducted. Participants were recruited from the oncology inpatient units of two hospitals. A convenience sample of 175 patients with cancer who underwent chemotherapy were recruited. The Everyday Cognition Scale (ECog), the Korean version of the Mini Mental State Examination (K-MMSE), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue (FACT-F) scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and a questionnaire to collect information about demographic, disease, and treatment information were completed.

More participants showed a mild decline in cognitive function and self-reported cognitive decline (39.4%) than had objectively confirmed decline (20%). Notably, 53.7-62.9% of the participants showed memory loss and a decline in divided attention. Demographic factors (age, sex), disease/treatment-related factors (chemotherapy cycles, fatigue), and psychological factors (depression) were predictors of cognitive decline in 49.6% of participants.

Old age and cumulative chemotherapy cycles were the main influential factors for objectively confirmed cognitive decline, and fatigue was the most common predictor of self-reported cognitive decline. Depression was one of the predictors of perceived cognitive decline, but it was not significant for objectively measured cognitive function. Thus, treatment-related factors such as fatigue had a greater impact on cognitive decline than psychological factors.