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Longitudinal study of cognitive dysfunctions induced by adjuvant chemotherapy in colon cancer patients

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Abstract

Background

Chemotherapy can induce cognitive impairment in cancer patients. The main goal of this longitudinal study was to determine the incidence, characteristics, and duration of cognitive dysfunction in patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer.

Patients and methods

We assessed cognitive function, quality of life, anxiety and depression, fatigue, and hemoglobin levels in colon cancer patients at three assessment points: pre-chemotherapy (n = 81), post-chemotherapy (n = 73), and after 6-month follow-up (n = 54). All patients were treated with oxaliplatin plus 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (FOLFOX4) for 6 months.

Results

Thirty patients (37 %) had cognitive impairment in the pre-chemotherapy evaluation, mainly in processing speed and psychomotor executive function (Trail Making Test A and B). At the end of treatment, the main domain affected was the verbal memory, with an acute decline detected in 56 % of patients. Fifty-four percent of the patients improved their dysfunction after 6 months of follow-up, whereas 18 (33 %) of them showed worsening in at least one test. Cognitive impairment was most common in older patients and in those with less years of education. Quality of life, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and hemoglobin did not influence the results of the cognitive tests.

Conclusions

Adjuvant FOLFOX4 in patients with colon cancer can have a negative effect on verbal memory. This deterioration is usually mild and transient.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

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The authors declare that this work was not financially funded.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223, Madrid, Spain

    Juan Antonio Cruzado, Sonia López-Santiago & Gema José-Moreno

  2. Medical Oncology Service, La Paz University Hospital, IDIPAZ, Madrid, Spain

    Virginia Martínez-Marín, Ana Belén Custodio & Jaime Feliu

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  1. Juan Antonio Cruzado
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  2. Sonia López-Santiago
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  3. Virginia Martínez-Marín
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Correspondence to Juan Antonio Cruzado.

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Cruzado, J.A., López-Santiago, S., Martínez-Marín, V. et al. Longitudinal study of cognitive dysfunctions induced by adjuvant chemotherapy in colon cancer patients. Support Care Cancer 22, 1815–1823 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-014-2147-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-014-2147-x

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