Examining the effects of adjuvant chemotherapy on cognition and the impact of any cognitive impairment on quality of life in colorectal cancer patients: study protocol

[Cognitive deficits with chemotherapy in women with breast cancer: a bibliographic revisión]

Background

Patients with breast cancer may experience cognitive difficulties from  chemotherapy. This alteration is called Chemoinduced Cognitive Impairment, also known as Chemobrain or Chemofog.

Objective

To identify the cognitive profile and the characteristics of the neuropsychological assessment in this population. Method: PubMed, SpringerLink and SciELO databases were revised. Articles from 1994 to September 2021 were selected. Keywords related to the study topic were used.

Results

Chemotherapy can cause cognitive impairment between 15 and 50% of women. This disturbance may be from multiple aetiologies and can be associated with biological factors and functional and/or structural changes of the CNS. Sociodemographic, clinical and psychological factors should be considered as modulating variables. It manifests mainly with memory problems, executive function, attention and processing speed impairment. It can be measured through neuropsychological evaluation instruments.

Discussion and conclusion

We suggest that chemo-induced cognitive impairment should be included to the informed consent. Further development of longitudinal studies complemented with neuroimages that allow us to advance in the knowledge of this problem is recommended. A neuropsychological protocol is proposed, which includes screening tests, clinical scales, specific cognitive tests and quality of life questionnaires, within the recommendations of the International Cognition and Cancer Task Force.

A Telehealth-Based Cognitive-Adaptive Training (e-OTCAT) to Prevent Cancer and Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Impairment in Women with Breast Cancer: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Many women with breast cancer experience a great number of side effects, such as cognitive impairment, during and after chemotherapy that reduces their quality of life. Currently, research focusing on the use of non-pharmacological, and specifically telehealth interventions to prevent or mitigate them has been insufficient. Methods: This protocol describes a randomized controlled trial aimed at studying the preventive effects of a videoconferenced cognitive-adaptive training (e-OTCAT) program (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04783402). A number of 98 eligible participants will be randomized to one of the following groups: (a) the experimental group receiving the e-OTCAT program during 12 consecutive weeks since the beginning of chemotherapy; and (b) the control group receiving and educational handbook and usual care. The primary outcome will be the cognitive function. Secondary measures will be psychological distress, fatigue, sleep disturbance, quality of life and occupational performance. The time-points for these measures will be placed at baseline, after 12 weeks and six months of post-randomization. Conclusion: This trial may support the inclusion of multidimensional interventions through a telehealth approach in a worldwide growing population suffering from breast cancer, emphasizing the prevention of cognitive impairment as one of the side effects of cancer and its treatments.

Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MR findings in chemotherapy-induced sinusoidal obstruction syndrome in colorectal liver metastases

Background

We assessed the clinical presentations, biomarkers, and Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI features that were associated with oxaliplatin-induced sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) to detect chemotherapy-associated SOS in a timely manner.

Methods

Fifty-seven patients who underwent oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy and Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI were included. Post-oxaliplatin heterogeneity in liver parenchyma was scored on a grading scale of 0 to 3. Abnormal clinical findings, including splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, gall bladder wall thickening, and hepatic vein narrowing, were also assessed. Additionally, alanine transaminase (ALT) levels, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, and platelet counts were measured.

Results

For SOS, 21 patients were scored grade 0, 24 were grade 1, seven were grade 2, and five were grade 3. Hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, gall bladder wall thickening, and hepatic vein narrowing were significantly correlated with the grade for non-tumorous hepatic parenchymal heterogeneity. For laboratory findings, ALT and AST levels, the AST-to-platelet ratio index score, and platelet counts were significantly associated with a high grade (≥2) of non-tumorous hepatic parenchymal heterogeneity.

Conclusions

We assessed the clinical presentations, biomarkers, and Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI features that were associated with oxaliplatin-induced sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) to detect chemotherapy-associated SOS in a timely manner. Additionally, specific laboratory findings were significantly associated with a high grade (≥2).

A review of cognitive screening tools in cancer

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is highly prevalent, and assessment of cognition is crucial in providing optimal cancer care. Neuropsychological assessment (NPA) can be lengthy and expensive. Cognitive screening tools are plenty but validity has not been thoroughly studied for use in cancer patients.

RECENT FINDINGS

Our search of the recent literature revealed that the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Mini-Mental State Examination, and Clock Draw Test were the most frequently studied objective screening tools. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function and the Cognitive Symptom Checklist-Work 21 were the most commonly studied subjective measures of perceived cognitive impairment. Evidence supports using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment or the Clock Draw Test over the Mini-Mental State Examination to screen for cognitive impairment within specific patient populations. In addition, adding a subjective measure of cognitive impairment (e.g., Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function) may increase diagnostic sensitivity.

SUMMARY

These suggest that cognitive screening tools may have a role in screening for CRCI, particularly when full NPA is not feasible. Researchers must continue to conduct high-quality studies to build an evidence to guide best practices in screening for CRCI.