Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment in breast cancer survivors: A systematic review of studies from 2000 to 2021

Background: Studies have indicated that apart from enhancing patient survival, chemotherapy has adverse side effects on the psychological, social, and cognitive functions of breast cancer survivors.

Aims: This study was conducted to understand chemotherapy's impact on breast cancer survivors' cognitive functions.

Methods and results: Our study is a systematic review based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. We searched English databases, including PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science, and Persian databases, such as Irandoc and Elmnet, using Persian keywords of cancer, breast cancer, chemotherapy, cognitive functions, executive functions, and neuropsychological functions. Two reviewers independently evaluated the full text of the articles according to predefined criteria. Among the 937 available studies, 26 were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, of which 17 (65%) were longitudinal and 9 (35%) were cross-sectional. The findings indicated a significant relationship between the use of chemotherapy and cognitive impairments, most notably attention, working and short-term memory, and executive functions. However, the studies differed in their findings regarding the long-term persistence of cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI), which could be due to the wide range of tools used, different methods to measure cognitive functions, and the difference in the sample size of the studies.

Conclusion: Chemotherapy, affecting cortical and subcortical brain structures, causes a set of cognitive impairments that can lead to impairments in social responsibility acceptance, daily functioning, and quality of life of women. Therefore, rigorous and extensive research design is required to understand the causes and consequences of CRCI using standardized and sensitive measures of cognitive functions. Specifically, studies comparing the effects of different chemotherapy regimens on cognition and potential mechanisms and/or moderators of CRCI would be instrumental in designing more effective therapy regimens and evaluating the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation and supportive care programs.