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. 2019 Mar 5;6(1):2055102919832234.
doi: 10.1177/2055102919832234. eCollection 2019 Jan-Jun.

'A new normal with chemobrain': Experiences of the impact of chemotherapy-related cognitive deficits in long-term breast cancer survivors

Fiona Me Henderson  1 , Ainslea J Cross  1 , Amy R Baraniak  1
Affiliations

'A new normal with chemobrain': Experiences of the impact of chemotherapy-related cognitive deficits in long-term breast cancer survivors

Fiona Me Henderson et al. Health Psychol Open. .

Abstract

Chemobrain is one of the most commonly reported side-effects of cancer treatment. However, there is limited research into its psychosocial concomitants. This study aimed to explore the long-term lived experience of chemobrain. Interpretative phenomenological analysis allowed an in-depth investigation of 12 breast cancer survivors suffering from perceived cognitive deficits at least 1-year post-treatment. Themes were organised around the illness representations framework. Commonly reported cognitive deficits related to memory, language and processing speed, which affected participants' sense of identity and their interactions with others. Individual experiences were mediated by health beliefs regarding controllability, validation and impairment trajectory.

Keywords: breast cancer; cancer; chemobrain; cognitive impairment; illness perception; interpretative phenomenological analysis; qualitative methods; quality of life.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

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