131 Background: In 2011 a series of four time-limited, psycho-educational workshops was conducted by a neuropsychologist at a major urban academic medical center, providing information, coping strategies, and resources to women who had been treated for breast cancer (BrCa) and who then sought cognitive treatment. Based on positive evaluations of these workshops, we assessed the prevalence of self-reported cognitive dysfunction in BrCa patients with the goal of expanding cognitive services to all affected cancer patients. Methods: The study was IRB approved. We surveyed a convenience sample of 50 BrCa patients in a single medical oncology waiting room over several weeks. Subjects completed a 16 item questionnaire assessing potential cognitive problems on a 4 point-scale. Results: Fifty patients completed the survey, of whom 46% were currently employed. Sixty-eight percent of respondents were currently receiving cancer treatment and of those, 61.8% had also received prior treatment. Conclusions: An unexpectedly large proportion of BrCa patients perceived cognitive difficulties that may have been compounded by fatigue and emotional dysfunction. Others may have failed to report cognitive difficulties, unaware of their onset. Quality of life of cancer patients is diminished by cognitive decline. The current data indicate a need for formal assessment and intervention programs that will identify patients with cognitive and emotional dysfunction and remediate the difficulties via workshops and therapy. Formal neuropsychological assessment and treatment resourcestargeting cognitive changes associated with cancer should be expanded to meet documented need. Further research will optimize the scheduling and structure of therapeutic interventions. [Table: see text]
Chemotherapy and Post-traumatic Stress in the Causation of Cognitive Dysfunction in Breast Cancer Patients
