Volume 19, Issue 1 pp. 110-117

Cognitive speed of processing and functional declines in older cancer survivors: an analysis of data from the ACTIVE trial

E.A. KVALE assistant professor

Corresponding Author

E.A. KVALE assistant professor

Birmingham Veterans Administration Medical Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

Elizabeth A. Kvale, University of Alabama at Birmingham Center for Palliative Care, CH19-219R, 1530 3rd Avenue S., Birmingham, AL 35294-0023, USA (e-mail: [email protected]).Search for more papers by this author
O.J. CLAY assistant professor

O.J. CLAY assistant professor

Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, and Edward R. Roybal Center for Translational Research on Aging and Mobility, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

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L.A. ROSS-MEADOWS research scholar

L.A. ROSS-MEADOWS research scholar

Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, and Edward R. Roybal Center for Translational Research on Aging and Mobility, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA, and Center for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

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J.S. MCGEE staff neuropsychologist

J.S. MCGEE staff neuropsychologist

Birmingham Veterans Administration Medical Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

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J.D. EDWARDS assistant professor

J.D. EDWARDS assistant professor

School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

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F.W. UNVERZAGT professor

F.W. UNVERZAGT professor

Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, India

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C.S. RITCHIE assistant professor

C.S. RITCHIE assistant professor

Birmingham Veterans Administration Medical Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

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K.K. BALL professor

K.K. BALL professor

Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, and Edward R. Roybal Center for Translational Research on Aging and Mobility, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

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First published: 21 December 2009
Citations: 31

Alternate corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

KVALE E.A., CLAY O.J., ROSS-MEADOWS L.A., MCGEE J.S., EDWARDS J.D., UNVERZAGT F.W., RITCHIE C.S. & BALL K.K. (2009) European Journal of Cancer Care19, 110–117
Cognitive speed of processing and functional declines in older cancer survivors: an analysis of data from the ACTIVE trial

It has been suggested that chemotherapy treatment for cancer may contribute to cognitive decline in older cancer survivors. This issue is particularly important given that subtle cognitive impairment, particularly in cognitive processing speed, can affect functional status and quality of life for older adults. Multivariate regression of data from a longitudinal randomized controlled trial of older adults revealed a trend towards decreased performance after cancer treatment with chemotherapy on several functional measures associated with processing speed (as compared with matched individuals who did not have cancer). Additional analyses revealed that a subset of the chemotherapy-treated adults demonstrated a reliable negative change on several measures of processing speed. While inconclusive, this hypothesis generating work suggests that cognitive dysfunction following cancer treatment may contribute to disability observed in older cancer survivors. Further research is needed to determine the significance of the relationship between cognitive and functional impairment in older cancer survivors.

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