Donepezil Not Beneficial for Cognitive Impairment in Breast Cancer Survivors
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, May 24, 2024 -- A once-daily dose of donepezil does not improve cognitive function among breast cancer survivors exposed to chemotherapy one to five years earlier, according to a study published online May 6 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Stephen R. Rapp, Ph.D., from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and colleagues examined the efficacy of the cognitive enhancer donepezil for improving memory in breast cancer survivors who report cancer-related cognitive impairment one to five years after chemotherapy. Adult female breast cancer survivors exposed to four or more cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy one to five years before enrollment were eligible and randomly assigned to receive 5 mg donepezil once daily for six weeks titrated to 10 mg once daily for 18 weeks or placebo (140 and 136 participants, respectively).
The researchers found that the treatment groups did not differ in terms of Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised scores at 24 weeks (mean, 25.98 and 26.50 for donepezil and placebo, respectively). No statistically significant differences were seen between treatments for attention, executive function, verbal fluency, processing speed, or self-reported cognitive functioning at 12, 24, or 36 weeks. The results were not affected by endocrine therapy or menopausal status.
"We found that the participants did not perform differently at the end of treatment on tests of memory, other cognitive functions, or subjective functioning than those randomly assigned to placebo," Rapp said in a statement.
Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical and medical technology industries.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
![](/img/logo/vendor/healthday-logo.png)
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted May 2024
Read this next
Neighborhood Deprivation Only Tied to Breast Cancer Mortality for White Women
FRIDAY, June 14, 2024 -- Factors aside from neighborhood deprivation are responsible for increased breast cancer mortality among Black women, according to a study published online...
ENDO: Early Menopause Tied to Heightened Risk for Breast, Ovarian Cancer
TUESDAY, June 11, 2024 -- Women with early menopause have a two times greater risk for breast cancer and a nearly four times higher risk for ovarian cancer, according to a study...
AI Cuts Radiologists' Workload in Mammography Screening
TUESDAY, June 11, 2024 -- Implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) into a population-based mammography screening program reduced the overall workload of radiologists while...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.