COSA 2013* Chemotherapy-Induced Cognitive Impairment: Cultural Considerations (#63)
Research has demonstrated that one’s personal experience, including the culture in which one is raised, may have an impact on one’s cognitive and social processes. Cross-cultural research has also demonstrated that cultural differences can influence episodic memory and cognitive correlates across ethnic groups. Hence, as one evaluates whether chemotherapy is able to induce cognitive impairment, one must understand and appreciate the cultural considerations. In this talk, we will evaluate this important issue through three studies that were conducted within the Asian setting. This includes: (1) a qualitative study which was conducted to gather in-depth descriptions from multiethnic Asian breast cancer patients on their perception and experience of cognitive changes after cancer treatment, as well as the impact on their family, working lives and their coping strategies; (2) a methodological study which was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties and measurement equivalence of the English and Chinese Versions of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – Cognitive (FACT-Cog) in Asian Breast Cancer Patients and (3) a cross-sectional survey which was designed to assess oncology practitioners’ perceptions of cognitive changes in Asian Cancer Patients.
