Publication:

Assessment of chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment in cancer patients

Background Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI) is a well-established side-effect of cancer treatment, which can impact memory, attention, executive function and quality of life. There have been reports of cognitive impairment in chemotherapy-treated patients, but there is limited data in the Indian population. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of CICI and identify factors associated with cognitive impairment among patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Methods A cross-sectional observational study was performed among 160 adult cancer patients receiving chemotherapy treatment at a tertiary care center. The functional assessment of cancer therapy – cognitive function (FACT-Cog, version 3) questionnaire was used to measure cognitive function. A structured case record form was used to gather the demographic and clinical information. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and multivariable logistic regression were used for statistical analysis to find independent predictors of cognitive impairment.

Results Among 160 participants, 57 (35.6%) had chemotherapy induced cognitive impairment. Cognitive function was significantly associated with advanced cancer stage and number of chemotherapy cycles and was an independent predictor of cognitive impairment in multivariable analyses. Type 2 diabetes mellitus was associated with lower odds of cognitive impairment, although this finding requires further investigation.

Conclusions Cognitive impairment was common among patients who were receiving chemotherapy. Greater treatment exposure and advanced disease stage were independently associated with cognitive impairment, highlighting the importance of routine cognitive assessment during cancer treatment. Further prospective multicenter studies are needed to confirm these findings and improve the management of chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment.