TY - JOUR
T1 - Older patients’ experience of living with cognitive impairment related to hormone therapy for breast cancer
T2 - A qualitative study
AU - Tenda, Yasuko
AU - Miyashita, Mika
AU - Yamada, Akimitsu
AU - Shimizu, Chikako
AU - Nakayama, Kanako
AU - Honma, Naoko
AU - Taira, Naruto
AU - Sawaki, Masataka
N1 - Funding Information:
The cancer-specific geriatric assessment (CSGA), which is a scale for comprehensive geriatric assessment for cancer treatment patients, was used as part of the research. The CSGA performs a risk assessment of complications in older cancer patients and the required medical assistance to increase their physical function reserve (Hurria et al., 2005). This scale is constructed from demographic information (age, sex, marital status, family, job, and educational history) and six indicators: physical function (Barthel index, instrumental activities of daily living, Karnofsky performance rating scale, and number of falls in the last 6 months), mental health (mental health inventory-17 [MHI-17]) (Stewart and Ware, 1992), social function (Medical Outcomes Study [MOS] Social Activity Limitations Measure), social support (Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey [MOS SSS]) (Sherbourne and Stewart, 1991), and nutrition (body mass index, percent unintentional weight loss in the last 6 months). The range of the mean score of each subscale (anxiety, depression, behavioral control, and positive affect) of the MHI-17 was 1.0–6.0. The scores of the MOS SSS subscales (emotional/informational, tangible, affectionate, and positive social interaction) and total score were converted by 100. Higher scores indicate better status in both the MHI-17 and the MOS SSS. Data of medical variables were provided by the physician.This study was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for the 24th Scientific Research from the Japanese Breast Cancer Society.
Funding Information:
This study was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for the 24th Scientific Research from the Japanese Breast Cancer Society .
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors
PY - 2022/4
Y1 - 2022/4
N2 - Purpose: Patients with breast cancer may develop cognitive impairment as a result of hormone therapy and aging. This study aimed to describe older patients’ experience of cognitive impairment related to hormone therapy for breast cancer. Methods: A qualitative and descriptive design was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 patients asking about their experience in daily life related to their cognitive impairment. Study participants were evaluated by cancer-specific geriatric assessment. Inductive content analysis was conducted using the interview records. Results: Three themes emerged from the patients’ narrative data: recognizing of cognitive impairments, impacts on mental health, and coping with cognitive impairments. Recognizing of cognitive function consisted of two categories: perception of cognitive changes and acknowledging their cognitive function status through interacting with others. Impacts on mental health consisted of six categories: decreased motivation for social activities, upset by perception of cognitive decline, concerns about impacts of cognitive impairment on treatment of breast cancer, concerns about the care burden of their family, concerns about progression of cognitive impairments, and feeling secure that their cognitive impairment is not unusual. Coping with cognitive impairments consisted of two categories: coping with problems related to cognitive impairment and trying to maintain and improve cognitive function. Conclusion: Oncology nurses should assess cognitive function and complete a comprehensive evaluation of older patients receiving hormone therapy for breast cancer. An evaluation of cognitive function would enable a tailored approach to education and support to enhance coping ability in the longer term.
AB - Purpose: Patients with breast cancer may develop cognitive impairment as a result of hormone therapy and aging. This study aimed to describe older patients’ experience of cognitive impairment related to hormone therapy for breast cancer. Methods: A qualitative and descriptive design was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 patients asking about their experience in daily life related to their cognitive impairment. Study participants were evaluated by cancer-specific geriatric assessment. Inductive content analysis was conducted using the interview records. Results: Three themes emerged from the patients’ narrative data: recognizing of cognitive impairments, impacts on mental health, and coping with cognitive impairments. Recognizing of cognitive function consisted of two categories: perception of cognitive changes and acknowledging their cognitive function status through interacting with others. Impacts on mental health consisted of six categories: decreased motivation for social activities, upset by perception of cognitive decline, concerns about impacts of cognitive impairment on treatment of breast cancer, concerns about the care burden of their family, concerns about progression of cognitive impairments, and feeling secure that their cognitive impairment is not unusual. Coping with cognitive impairments consisted of two categories: coping with problems related to cognitive impairment and trying to maintain and improve cognitive function. Conclusion: Oncology nurses should assess cognitive function and complete a comprehensive evaluation of older patients receiving hormone therapy for breast cancer. An evaluation of cognitive function would enable a tailored approach to education and support to enhance coping ability in the longer term.
KW - Breast cancer
KW - Cognitive impairment
KW - Comprehensive geriatric assessment
KW - Hormone therapy
KW - Older women
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ejon.2022.102115
DO - 10.1016/j.ejon.2022.102115
M3 - Article
C2 - 35247744
AN - SCOPUS:85125469303
SN - 1462-3889
VL - 57
JO - European Journal of Oncology Nursing
JF - European Journal of Oncology Nursing
M1 - 102115
ER -
