Assessing cognitive function in cancer patients after chemotherapy

Background: Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Impairment (CRCI) is a problem that defines a widely defining cognitive functionality following the administration of chemotherapy treatment in cancerous patients in the present day. Previous studies reported that CRCI may continue for months receiving chemotherapy. Objective: This study was conducted to assess the cognitive function in cancer patients after chemotherapy. Methods: The present study was conducted in the oncology department of a state hospital in Turkey in descriptive design. The study population consisted of 100 patients who completed curative chemotherapy because of cancer and came to follow-ups in the 6th month. The “Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA)” was used in the study. In the analysis of the MOCA scale with independent variables, the One-Way Anova Test was used for more than two groups, and the Independent Samples T test was used for binary groups. Results: The average of the general scores were found to be 18.73 ±3.7, and the cognitive function of 70% of the patients was low. The patients scored below the average scores that could be obtained in the language (1.31±0.971) and delayed recall (0.9±1.168) sub-dimensions. Those who took platinum and Taxane-containing cures had lower abstract thinking score averages than those who took only Taxane-containing cures. Conclusion: Risky groups that might be affected in terms of cognitive functionality in cancer patients were female gender, being married, having low educational status, not working in an active job, and receiving platinum and Taxane-containing chemotherapy.