Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40259875›Full record

ArticleCancer medicine2025

Subjective and Objective Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairments Among Systemic and Radiation Therapy-Naïve Female Cancer Patients.

Maria-Chidi C Onyedibe, Martina E Schmidt, Pauline Bizer, Philipp Zimmer, Karen Steindorf

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Article in Cancer medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

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

11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. 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

5 authors.

Maria-Chidi C OnyedibeDivision of Physical Activity, Prevention and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), A Partnership Between DKFZ and University Medical Center, Heidelberg, Germany.
Martina E SchmidtDivision of Physical Activity, Prevention and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), A Partnership Between DKFZ and University Medical Center, Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2095-2426
Pauline BizerDivision of Physical Activity, Prevention and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), A Partnership Between DKFZ and University Medical Center, Heidelberg, Germany.
Philipp ZimmerDepartment Performance and Health, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany.
Karen SteindorfDivision of Physical Activity, Prevention and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), A Partnership Between DKFZ and University Medical Center, Heidelberg, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5215-5651

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is a frequent and burdensome problem that is still insufficiently understood and managed. We investigated subjective and objective measures of CRCI, as recommended by the International Cancer and Cognition Task Force (ICCTF) in cancer patients prior to systemic or radiation therapy with respect to potential influencing or associated psychosocial, demographic, or lifestyle factors.

methodsFemale patients with breast or gynecological tumors (n = 239, mean age = 55.5, SD = 11.6) prior to any systemic or radiation therapy completed validated subjective (FACT-Cog: perceived cognitive impairment [PCI], perceived cognitive ability [PCA], impact on quality of life [IQoL]) and objective measures of CRCI (Trail Making Test [TMT-A and -B], Controlled Oral Word Association Test [COWA], and Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised [HVLT-R]). Association with cross-sectionally assessed age, body mass index, education, smoking, alcohol intake, sleep problems, social support, anxiety, and pain was investigated using multiple linear regression models.

resultsA quarter (25.1%) of patients showed indication for CRCI based on the PCI score. Subjective and objective CRCI measures showed no or only weak correlations, also when adjusting for age and education (partial Spearman correlations with each other, all |r| ≤ 0.21). Anxiety, sleep problems, and pain were significantly associated with low subjective cognitive function (PCI, PCA, and IQoL). Poor objective cognitive values (TMT, COWA, and HVLT-R) were mainly determined by higher age and lower education.

conclusionsCancer-related cognitive impairment is not solely (chemo-)therapy-induced but may be triggered or influenced by anxiety, sleep problems, and pain. Addressing these issues early in the treatment phase could potentially alleviate perceived CRCI. The ICCTF-recommended neuropsychological tests do not adequately capture this CRCI prior to systemic or radiation therapy, but could serve as complementary tools to monitor cognitive changes over time, independent of psychosocial influences.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsCognitive DysfunctionGenital Neoplasms, FemaleAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAnxietyCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMiddle AgedNeuropsychological TestsQuality of LifeRadiotherapySleep Wake DisordersYoung Adultanxietybreast cancercancer‐related cognitive impairmentneuropsychological testssleep problem

Identifiers

PMID40259875
PMCPMC12012307

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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.