Cognitive Perception among Post-Chemotherapy, Non-Chemotherapy Breast Cancer Survivors and Non-Cancer

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to compare the cognitive function perceived by post-chemotherapy breast cancer survivors, breast cancer survivors without chemotherapy, and non-cancer woman patients. METHODS: This study was conducted by a descriptive comparative method. The respondents consisted of 82 survivors of post-chemotherapy breast cancer, 81 non-chemotherapy breast cancer survivors, and 80 non-cancer woman patients who were recruited using consecutive sampling. The data were collected from October until December 2017 by using a FACT-Cog version 3 questionnaire. Data analysis was performed by using a comparative test of Kruskal-Wallis followed by a Mann-Whitney posthoc analysis. RESULTS: The results showed that the median of cognitive function perception in breast cancer survivors post-chemotherapy, non-chemotherapy, and non-cancerous women are 94 (52-122), 113 (53-130), and 121 (69-132), respectively. Mann-Whitney’s post-hoc analysis showed a significantly different perception of cognitive function between post-chemotherapy survivors and non-chemotherapy survivors; also between post-chemotherapy survivors and non-cancer women, and between non-chemotherapy survivors with non-cancer women. CONCLUSION: Perceived cognitive impairment, comments from others, perceived cognitive abilities, and effects on quality of life in breast cancer survivors who received chemotherapy are significantly different as compared to the survivor group without chemotherapy and non-cancerous healthy women.