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Long-term cognitive function following chemotherapy in patients with testicular cancer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2009

ANDERS DEGN PEDERSEN*
Affiliation:
Department of Neuropsychology Hammel Neurorehabilitation and Research Center, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
PHILIP ROSSEN
Affiliation:
Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
MIMI YUNG MEHLSEN
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark
CHRISTINA GUNDGAARD PEDERSEN
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark
ROBERT ZACHARIAE
Affiliation:
Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark Department of Psychology, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark
HANS VON DER MAASE
Affiliation:
Department of Oncology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
*
*Correspondence and reprint requests to: Anders Degn Pedersen, Department of Neuropsychology Hammel Neurorehabilitation and Research Center, Voldbyvej 15, DK-8450 Hammel, Denmark. E-mail: andped@rm.dk

Abstract

Cancer patients frequently report cognitive complaints following chemotherapy, but the results from the available studies, mainly of women with breast cancer, are inconsistent. Our aim was to compare cognitive function of men with testicular cancer (TC) who had orchiectomy and chemotherapy (bleomycin, etoposide, cisplatin) with men who had orchiectomy only or orchiectomy and radiotherapy. Thirty-six chemotherapy patients and 36 nonchemotherapy patients were tested 2–7 years after treatment for TC with standardized neuropsychological tests. Chemotherapy and nonchemotherapy patients displayed similar performances on cognitive tests (p values adjusted for multiple comparisons: .63–1.00). Moreover, there was no difference in the proportion of cognitively impaired patients in the chemotherapy group (5.6%) compared to the nonchemotherapy group (8.3%) (χ2 = 0.22, p = .64). Our results are discordant with previous findings indicating cognitive impairment following chemotherapy and suggest that TC patients do not need to fear long-term cognitive consequences following chemotherapy. (JINS, 2009, 15, 296–301.)

Type
Brief Communications
Copyright
Copyright © INS 2009

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