Many breast most cancers survivors report cancer-related cognitive impairment following chemotherapy, though prevalence charges and severity range.
To check whether or not a dementia drug may enhance cognition in breast most cancers survivors, researchers at Wake Forest College College of Drugs carried out a Part III randomized, placebo-controlled trial to check donepezil, a cognitive-enhancing drugs used within the therapy of Alzheimer’s illness.
The analysis group discovered that donepezil didn’t enhance reminiscence or different cognitive capabilities in survivors with cancer-related cognitive impairment.
The findings seem on-line within the Journal of Scientific Oncology.
The researchers enrolled 276 breast most cancers survivors from group oncology practices affiliated with the Nationwide Most cancers Institute Neighborhood Oncology Analysis Program (NCORP), a nationwide community that brings most cancers scientific trials and care supply research to communities. The Wake Forest NCORP Analysis Base at Atrium Well being Wake Forest Baptist’s Nationwide Most cancers Institute-designated Complete Most cancers Heart is one among seven funded NCORP Analysis Program bases within the nation.
Research individuals had obtained not less than 4 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy and reported cognitive impairment and reminiscence issues for one to 5 years after chemotherapy had accomplished. Members had been enrolled on the NCORP research between July 2017 and July 2021.
The individuals had been assigned to both obtain 5-10 mg of donepezil, taken as soon as a day for twenty-four weeks, or placebo.”
Stephen R. Rapp, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral drugs at Wake Forest College College of Drugs and lead creator of the paper
Cognitive assessments had been carried out earlier than therapy, at 12 weeks and at finish of therapy.
“We discovered that the individuals didn’t carry out otherwise on the finish of therapy on assessments of reminiscence, different cognitive capabilities, or subjective functioning than these randomly assigned to placebo,” Rapp mentioned.
Whereas donepezil can’t be beneficial as a therapy to enhance cancer-related cognitive impairment in breast most cancers survivors after finishing chemotherapy, the researchers say additional trials are wanted.
“Further analysis with completely different timing of administration, completely different medicines or treatment combos, or non-pharmacological interventions are warranted,” mentioned Glenn Lesser, M.D., deputy director of the Atrium Well being Wake Forest Baptist Complete Most cancers Heart, senior creator of the manuscript and principal investigator of the Wake Forest NCORP Analysis Base.
Atrium Well being Wake Forest Baptist
Rapp, S. R., et al. (2024). Part III Randomized, Placebo-Managed Scientific Trial of Donepezil for Therapy of Cognitive Impairment in Breast Most cancers Survivors After Adjuvant Chemotherapy (WF-97116). Journal of Scientific Oncology. doi.org/10.1200/jco.23.01100.
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