Cancer-related cognitive impairment as a key contributor to psychopathology in cancer survivors: implications for prevention, treatment and supportive care

Darren Haywood; Melissa Henry; Evan Dauer; Oscar Lederman; Morgan Farley; Ashley M Henneghan; Moira O'Connor; Michael Jefford; Susan L Rossell; Nicolas H Hart

doi:10.1007/s00520-024-08696-9

Cancer-related cognitive impairment as a key contributor to psychopathology in cancer survivors: implications for prevention, treatment and supportive care

Support Care Cancer. 2024 Jul 2;32(7):480. doi: 10.1007/s00520-024-08696-9.

Authors

Darren Haywood^{1

2

3

4}, Melissa Henry^{5

6

7

8}, Evan Dauer^{9

10}, Oscar Lederman^{9

11}, Morgan Farley⁹, Ashley M Henneghan^{12

13}, Moira O'Connor¹⁴, Michael Jefford^{15

16

17}, Susan L Rossell^{10

18}, Nicolas H Hart^{9

19

20

21

22}

Affiliations

¹ Human Performance Research Centre, INSIGHT Research Institute, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Moore Park, Sydney, NSW, 2030, Australia. [email protected].
² Department of Mental Health, St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Fitzroy, VIC, Australia. [email protected].
³ Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne Medical School, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia. [email protected].
⁴ School of Population Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia. [email protected].
⁵ Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁶ Department of Oncology, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁷ Lady Davis Research Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁸ Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁹ Human Performance Research Centre, INSIGHT Research Institute, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Moore Park, Sydney, NSW, 2030, Australia.
¹⁰ Department of Mental Health, St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Fitzroy, VIC, Australia.
¹¹ School of Health Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
¹² School of Nursing, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
¹³ Department of Oncology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
¹⁴ School of Population Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia.
¹⁵ Department of Health Services Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
¹⁶ Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
¹⁷ Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
¹⁸ Centre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia.
¹⁹ Caring Futures Institute, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
²⁰ Exercise Medicine Research Institute, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia.
²¹ Cancer and Palliative Care Outcomes Centre, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
²² Institute for Health Research, University of Notre Dame Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.

Abstract

A significant proportion of cancer survivors will experience some form of mental health compromise across domains including mood, anxiety, psychosis, eating disorders, and substance use. This psychopathology within cancer survivors is related to a range of negative outcomes and can also have a substantial negative impact on quality of life. Along with psychopathology, cognitive impairments are also commonly experienced, resulting in deficits in memory, reasoning, decision-making, speed of processing, and concentration, collectively referred to as cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI). Within the non-oncology literature, cognitive deficits are consistently demonstrated to be a key transdiagnostic aetiological feature of psychopathology, functionally contributing to the development and perpetuation of symptoms. Whilst there is an acknowledgement of the role mental health concerns might play in the development of and perception of CRCI, there has been limited acknowledgement and research exploring the potential for CRCI to functionally contribute toward the development of transdiagnostic psychopathology in cancer survivors beyond simply psychosocial distress. Given the theoretical and empirical evidence suggesting cognitive deficits to be an aetiological factor in psychopathology, we provide a rationale for the potential for CRCI to be a factor in the development and perpetuation of transdiagnostic psychopathology in cancer survivors. This potential functional association has significant implications for risk identification, prevention, treatment, and supportive cancer care approaches regarding psychopathology in cancer survivorship. We conclude by providing directions for future research in this area.

Keywords: Cancer; Cancer-related cognitive impairment; Mental health; Psychopathology; Supportive Care.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Cancer Survivors* / psychology
Cognitive Dysfunction* / etiology
Humans
Mental Disorders / etiology
Neoplasms* / complications
Neoplasms* / psychology
Quality of Life*

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

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