A Pilot Study: Application of Hemoglobin and Cortisol Levels, and A Memory Test to Evaluate the Quality of Life of Breast Cancer Patients on Chemotherapy

Autor: Wings T Y Loo, Louis W.C. Chow, Qing Liu, Min Wang, Elizabeth L Y Ng, Jianping Chen, Michael C. W. Yip
Rok vydání: 2013
Předmět:
Adult
050103 clinical psychology
Cancer Research
medicine.medical_specialty
Hydrocortisone
Cyclophosphamide
medicine.medical_treatment
Clinical Biochemistry
Breast Neoplasms
Pilot Projects
Docetaxel
Gastroenterology
Pathology and Forensic Medicine
Hemoglobins
Leukocyte Count
Young Adult
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Breast cancer
Surveys and Questionnaires
Internal medicine
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
Biomarkers
Tumor

medicine
Humans
0501 psychology and cognitive sciences
Young adult
Memory Disorders
Chemotherapy
business.industry
05 social sciences
Case-control study
medicine.disease
Treatment Outcome
Endocrinology
Oncology
Case-Control Studies
030220 oncology & carcinogenesis
Erythrocyte Count
Quality of Life
Female
Taxoids
Hemoglobin
business
medicine.drug
Zdroj: The International Journal of Biological Markers. 28:348-356
ISSN: 1724-6008
DOI: 10.5301/jbm.5000053
Popis: Background Short-term memory (STM) decline in breast cancer patients resulting from chemotherapy was evaluated by means of blood biomarkers, a questionnaire, and a computerized STM test. Methods This study was conducted from January 2013 to June 2013, recruiting 90 subjects: 30 breast cancer patients beginning the 3rd of 4th cycles of docetaxel and cyclophosphamide chemotherapy, 30 recovered patients (who completed 4 cycles of docetaxel for a minimum of 6 months), and 30 healthy subjects (disease-free females). The levels of hemoglobin, red and white blood cells, and cortisol in serum, and a computerized STM test were analyzed to estimate the effects of chemotherapy on STM. A questionnaire was given to all subjects to assess quality of life. Results Statistically significant differences were observed for the blood parameters (hemoglobin, red and white blood cells, and cortisol levels) between healthy and on-treatment subjects (respectively 13.47±0.96 g/dL vs 5.37±0.38 g/dL, 4.58±0.41 1012/L vs 2.07±0.13 1012/L, and 6.15±1.03 109/L vs 0.86±0.41 109/L). Scores of the STM test were significantly lower for patients compared to healthy subjects. As indicated by the results of the questionnaire, breast cancer patients had a higher tendency to forget than healthy controls (X2=3.15; p2=3.15; pConclusion We found depleted levels of hemoglobin, red and white blood cells as a result of chemotherapy, and elevated levels of stress correlated with poor performances in the computerized STM test. A higher cortisol level might be an important precursor of STM deterioration. Monitoring cortisol would be beneficial for evaluating the quality of life of breast cancer patients on chemotherapy.
Databáze: OpenAIRE