Subjective cognitive complaints one year after ceasing adjuvant endocrine treatment for early-stage breast cancer

• Published in: British journal of cancer Vol. 106; no. 10; pp. 1618 - 1625
• Main Authors: Ribi, K, Aldridge, J, Phillips, K-A, Thompson, A, Harvey, V, Thürlimann, B, Cardoso, F, Pagani, O, Coates, A S, Goldhirsch, A, Price, K N, Gelber, R D, Bernhard, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 08.05.2012; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/378/2649; 692/699/67/1059; 692/699/67/1347; 692/700/565/2194; Aromatase Inhibitors - adverse effects; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Breast Neoplasms - psychology; Cancer Research; Cancer therapies; Chemotherapy; Clinical outcomes; Clinical Study; Cognition - drug effects; Cognitive ability; Drug Resistance; Endocrine therapy; Epidemiology; Estrogen Antagonists - adverse effects; Female; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Longitudinal studies; Mammary gland diseases; Medical research; Medical sciences; Molecular Medicine; Neoplasm Staging; Nitriles - adverse effects; Oncology; Quality of Life; Questionnaires; Tamoxifen - adverse effects; Triazoles - adverse effects; Tumors; Womens health; New Zealand; United States > US; Switzerland; letrozole; breast cancer; subjective cognitive function; quality of life; tamoxifen; aromatase inhibitor; Antineoplastic agent; Breast disease; Endocrine gland; Azole derivatives; Antiestrogen; Adjuvant treatment; Early stage; Cognition; Antihormone; Estrogen synthase; Selective estrogen receptor modulator; Cancerology; Non steroid compound; Aromatase inhibitor; Enzyme; Enzyme inhibitor; Breast cancer; Malignant tumor; Tamoxifene; Quality of life; Mammary gland diseases; Triazole derivatives; Endocrinology; Letrozole; Cancer
• ISSN: 0007-0920; 1532-1827
• DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2012.156

Background: In the BIG 1-98 trial objective cognitive function improved in postmenopausal women 1 year after cessation of adjuvant endocrine therapy for breast cancer. This report evaluates changes in subjective cognitive function (SCF). Methods: One hundred postmenopausal women, randomised to receive 5 years of adjuvant tamoxifen, letrozole, or a sequence of the two, completed self-reported measures on SCF, psychological distress, fatigue, and quality of life during the fifth year of trial treatment (year 5) and 1 year after treatment completion (year 6). Changes between years 5 and 6 were evaluated using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Subjective cognitive function and its correlates were explored. Results: Subjective cognitive function and the other patient-reported outcomes did not change significantly after cessation of endocrine therapy with the exception of improvement for hot flushes ( P =0.0005). No difference in changes was found between women taking tamoxifen or letrozole. Subjective cognitive function was the only psychosocial outcome with a substantial correlation between year 5 and 6 (Spearman's R =0.80). Correlations between SCF and the other patient-reported outcomes were generally low. Conclusion: Improved objective cognitive function but not SCF occur following cessation of adjuvant endocrine therapy in the BIG 1-98 trial. The substantial correlation of SCF scores over time may represent a stable attribute.