Chemotherapy-related subjective cognitive impairment in breast cancer patients in semi-rural South Africa
Health SA Gesondheid
Field | Value | |
Title | Chemotherapy-related subjective cognitive impairment in breast cancer patients in semi-rural South Africa | |
Creator | Keetile, Nicholas M. Osuch, Elzbieta Lentoor, Antonio G. | |
Description | Background: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer amongst women worldwide. Whilst current evidence indicates the therapeutic benefits from the use of chemotherapy, self-perceived cognitive difficulties emerged as a frequent occurrence during and after chemotherapy treatment in breast cancer patients.Aim: The current study sought to investigate self-perceived cognitive impairment in a group of breast cancer patients in semi-rural South Africa.Setting: The patients were recruited from an outpatient oncology clinic at a semi-rural, tertiary academic hospital in Gauteng, South Africa.Methods: In a randomised, quantitative, time-based series study, 30 female patients aged 21–60 years (mean age = 50 years) diagnosed with stages II and III breast cancer on CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, fluorouracil) (n = 10) and FAC (fluorouracil, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide) (n = 20) chemotherapy regimens, completed the self-reported Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognition (Fact-Cog) test as a measure of subjective cognitive functioning at three points during the course of treatment (T0, T1, T2).Results: The results of the paired sample t-tests showed the scores on the Fact-Cog test confirmed significant cognitive decline for both treatment groups from baseline (T0) to completion (T2) of chemotherapy; CMF group, t (9) = 2.91, p = 0.017 and the FAC group t (19) = 4.66, p 0.001.Conclusion: This study confirms that self-reported subjective cognitive impairment is common in breast cancer patients who received chemotherapy in a sample of South African patients. The results have implications for the overall care of cancer patients.Contribution: The context-based knowledge engendered by the current study is expected to augment the continuum of care for breast cancer patients. | |
Publisher | AOSIS Publishing | |
Date | 2021-07-26 | |
Identifier | 10.4102/hsag.v26i0.1605 | |
Source | Health SA Gesondheid; Vol 26 (2021); 5 pages 2071-9736 1025-9848 | |
Language | eng | |
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