Purpose of Review <p>Patients with or surviving breast cancer suffer from chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment, a multifactorial comorbid condition usually referred to as chemo-brain, that interferes with their daily activities, affects their coping ability, and worsens their quality of life. This narrative review is devoted to reporting the central clinical studies that handle aspects of chemo-brain and related interfering factors in patients with breast cancer and endeavor to help them through various supportive care procedures.</p> Recent Findings <p>Chemo-brain is a complex prognostic comorbidity that is caused by several interrelated factors, including anxiety, depression, fatigue, poor self-perception, and executive dysfunctions. Both objective and subjective screening tests are widely used, and those based on gene polymorphisms and telomeres will play a key role in identifying high-risk patients who require special monitoring. For that purpose, supportive care strategies are often considered, including cognitive training techniques like self-hypnosis, physical exercises (with or without nutritional care), and support group treatments.</p> Summary <p>Cognitive changes in patients having undergone chemotherapy for breast cancer are associated with, and likely aggravated by, physical and neuropsychological issues such as fatigue, pain, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance, thus highlighting the urgent need to detect and assess chemo-brain symptomatology to improve treatment programs. Subjective and objective screening tests are, therefore, extensively implemented in the clinical setting, and ensuing assessment scores tend to be accounted for in achieving supportive care interventions parallel to standard anticancer follow-up.</p>

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Subjective and Objective Aspects of Chemo-brain in Patients with Breast Cancer: Potential Interfering Factors and Supportive Care Endeavors

  • Sameha Merzoug,
  • Mohamed Lamine Toumi,
  • Chaima Yousfi,
  • Aicha Beya Larhem,
  • Amina Aiouaz

摘要

Purpose of Review

Patients with or surviving breast cancer suffer from chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment, a multifactorial comorbid condition usually referred to as chemo-brain, that interferes with their daily activities, affects their coping ability, and worsens their quality of life. This narrative review is devoted to reporting the central clinical studies that handle aspects of chemo-brain and related interfering factors in patients with breast cancer and endeavor to help them through various supportive care procedures.

Recent Findings

Chemo-brain is a complex prognostic comorbidity that is caused by several interrelated factors, including anxiety, depression, fatigue, poor self-perception, and executive dysfunctions. Both objective and subjective screening tests are widely used, and those based on gene polymorphisms and telomeres will play a key role in identifying high-risk patients who require special monitoring. For that purpose, supportive care strategies are often considered, including cognitive training techniques like self-hypnosis, physical exercises (with or without nutritional care), and support group treatments.

Summary

Cognitive changes in patients having undergone chemotherapy for breast cancer are associated with, and likely aggravated by, physical and neuropsychological issues such as fatigue, pain, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance, thus highlighting the urgent need to detect and assess chemo-brain symptomatology to improve treatment programs. Subjective and objective screening tests are, therefore, extensively implemented in the clinical setting, and ensuing assessment scores tend to be accounted for in achieving supportive care interventions parallel to standard anticancer follow-up.