Cognitive Impairment Assessment in Breast Cancer Survivors

Validation of Neuropsychological Tests for the Assessment of Cognitive Impairment in Breast Cancer Survivors

This study is a monocentric, observational, cross-sectional study with a case-control design, aimed at evaluating the construct validity, discriminative ability, and diagnostic accuracy of a second-level neuropsychological test battery for the detection of cancer-related cognitive impairment in breast cancer survivors.

Participants will undergo a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment including both paper-and-pencil tests to be validated and their corresponding comparator instruments, in order to evaluate sensitivity, specificity, and convergent validity across multiple cognitive domains.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age between 18 and 65 years old
• Patient with a previous documented diagnosis of non-metastatic breast cancer (only for breast cancer survivor gruop)
• Patient has completed chemotherapy for at least 6 months and for a maximum of 36 months if planned (only for breast cancer survivor gruop)
• Understanding of the Italian language and ability to give informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of brain metastases or history of brain radiation therapy (only for breast cancer survivor gruop)
• Patient with previous diagnosis of other malignant tumors in addition to breast cancer (only for breast cancer survivor gruop)
• Patient with a previous diagnosis of malignant carcinomas (only for control gruop)
• Patient with a history of brain damage with unresolved neurological consequences
• Patient with previous or current serious neurological pathologies
• Patient with severe psychiatric conditions
• Patient with systemic pathologies that could interfere with cognitive abilities
• Patient taking medications that have a strong cognitive impact and that have not been stabilized for at least 4 weeks prior to enrollment
• Patient with visual or hearing impairments that are not properly corrected
• Patient with any disability that might compromise the validity of cognitive tests