Brief Report Does hormone therapy for the treatment of breast cancer have a detrimental effect on memory and cognition? A pilot study Valerie Jenkins 1 *, Valerie Shilling 1, Lesley Fallowfield 2, Anthony Howell 2, Sam Hutton 3 1Cancer Research UK, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK 2Cancer Research UK, Department of Medical Oncology, Christie Hospital, Manchester, UK 3Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK email: Valerie Jenkins (v.jenkins@biols.susx.ac.uk) *Correspondence to Valerie Jenkins, Cancer Research, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton BNG 1QG, UK Abstract This pilot study examines whether hormone therapy for breast cancer affects cognition. Patients participating in a randomised trial of anastrozole, tamoxifen alone or combined (ATAC) (n=94) and a group of women without breast cancer (n=35) completed a battery of neuropsychological measures. Compared with the control group, the patients were impaired on a processing speed task (p=0.032) and on a measure of immediate verbal memory (p=0.026) after controlling for the use of hormone replacement therapy in both groups. Patient group performance was not significantly related to length of treatment or measures of psychological morbidity. The results showed specific impairments in processing speed and verbal memory in women receiving hormonal therapy for the treatment of breast cancer. Verbal memory may be especially sensitive to changes in oestrogen levels, a finding commonly reported in studies of hormone replacement therapy in healthy women. In view of the increased use of hormone therapies in an adjuvant and preventative setting their impact on cognitive functioning should be investigated more thoroughly. Psycho-Oncology Volume 13, Issue 1 , Pages 61 - 66 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.