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Updated: Feb 10, 2026

Studying Triple Negative Breast Cancer Using Orthotopic Breast Cancer Model
Published on: March 20, 2020
NeuroCog FX study: A multicenter cohort study on cognitive dysfunction in patients with early breast cancer
Oliver Rick1, Monika Reuß-Borst2, Timm Dauelsberg3
1Klinik Reinhardshöhe, Bad Wildungen, Germany.
Objective:
Complaints about cognitive dysfunction (CD) reportedly persist in approximately one third of breast cancer patients, but the nature of CD and possible risk factors are unknown.
Methods:
A cross-sectional, multicenter study was set up at 9 German oncological rehabilitation centers. Objective cognitive performance was assessed by the NeuroCog FX test, a short computerized screening (duration <30 minutes) which assesses working memory, alertness, verbal/figural memory, and language/executive. Patients' test performance was correlated with treatment factors (chemo-, radiotherapy), subjective performance (FEDA), depression (PHQ-9), quality of life (EORTC QLQ-30), and clinical characteristics.
Results:
From February 2013 to December 2014, a clinically homogenous sample of 476 patients was recruited (early tumor stage [T0-T2]: 93%; node-negative: 67%; chemotherapy: 61%; radiotherapy: 84%). NeuroCog FX could be administered in 439 patients (92%; median age: 50 [24-62] years). Patients showed decreased performance in attentional-executive functions (but not verbal/figural memory) and a 3-fold rate of CD in terms of below average performance in at least 1 cognitive domain (42%). Approximately 40% of the patients also reported subjective cognitive impairment (FEDA). No therapy-specific effect on test performance was obtained in the NeuroCog FX test.
Conclusions:
Breast cancer survivors showed objective attentional-executive and subjective cognitive impairments. No therapy-specific adverse side effect on objective cognitive performance was found. Depression strongly contributed to objective and subjective cognitive complaints and reduced quality of life.
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