Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39976866›Full record

ArticleBreast cancer research and treatment2025

The regulation mechanism of perceived stress on cognitive function of patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy: a multiple mediation analysis.

Xiaotong Ding, Qing Wang, Houming Kan, Fang Zhao, Mingyue Zhu, Hongli Chen, Enfeng Fu, Zheng Li

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Article in Breast cancer research and treatment, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Xiaotong Ding *School of Nursing, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 33 Ba Dachu Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100144, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3388-903X
Qing Wang *School of Nursing, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 33 Ba Dachu Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100144, China.
Houming KanSchool of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, SAR, China.
Fang ZhaoDepartment of Internal Medicine, National Cancer Center/ National Clinical Research Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 17 Panjiayuan Nanli, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100021, China.
Mingyue ZhuSchool of Nursing, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 33 Ba Dachu Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100144, China.
Hongli ChenSchool of Nursing, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 33 Ba Dachu Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100144, China.
Enfeng FuDepartment of Internal Medicine, National Cancer Center/ National Clinical Research Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 17 Panjiayuan Nanli, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100021, China.
Zheng LiSchool of Nursing, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 33 Ba Dachu Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100144, China. zhengli@pumc.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimCancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is one of the severe side effects affecting the quality of life of breast cancer (BC) patients. However, the mechanisms underlying CRCI are still unclear. The study aimed to examine the multiple mediating roles of resilience, social support, cortisol, and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in the relationship between perceived stress and cognitive function.

designThe study was a descriptive, cross-sectional study.

methodsThe study investigated 450 BC patients with chemotherapy in China. Convenience sampling was conducted from February to August 2023. The study used the Perceived Stress Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Social Support Rating Scale, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, salivary cortisol, and NLR. SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 26.0 conducted bivariate correlations and multiple mediation analysis.

resultsThe correlations of magnitude variables ranged from no correlation to moderate level (r = - 0.002 to - 0.617). The multiple mediation path demonstrated that resilience and morning cortisol levels mediated the relationship between perceived stress and cognitive function, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) not including 0 for the direct, indirect, and total effects.

conclusionsThe study confirmed that when BC patients endure physical and psychological stress during diagnosis and treatment, individuals' resilience can buffer the stress on cognitive function. Morning salivary cortisol levels, as the product and indicator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function, may play a significant role in the effect of perceived stress on cognitive function while incapable of finding NLR as the marker of individuals' immune inflammatory response and social support play a role in this relationship. The study, based on a stress perspective, explored the regulatory mechanisms by which perceived stress affects cognitive function in patients undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, providing intervenable targets for subsequent improvement of patients' cognitive function.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsChemotherapy-Related Cognitive ImpairmentCognitionStress, PsychologicalAdultAgedChinaCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansHydrocortisoneMediation AnalysisMiddle AgedNeutrophilsQuality of LifeResilience, PsychologicalHydrocortisoneCognitive functionCortisolMediation analysisNeutrophil–lymphocyte ratioPerceived stressPsycho-oncologyResilienceSocial support

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.