The effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on cognitive functioning in early breast cancer: implications for outcomes research and oncology practice

Outcomes research is an important focus of public and research policy in Australia. Recent reports of cognitive impairment after chemotherapy for breast cancer have highlighted the emerging importance of cognition as a clinically relevant outcome. To date, most studies have utilised cross-sectional study designs to investigate impairment after treatment. Future research requires a within-group study design that utilises a longitudinal repeated measures approach to identify the nature and magnitude of cognitive change after adjuvant chemotherapy and to evaluate factors that mediate cognitive functioning. The results of within-group studies will also provide the foundations for individual patient assessment, with its focus on the development of tailored behavioural interventions for significantl