No decline in functional status or cognitive function during the first year after treatment initiation for early-stage breast cancer in women aged 75 years and older: a prospective observational matched cohort study
- 1Leiden University Medical Center
Abstract
BackgroundThis study compared functional and cognitive trajectories in older women treated for early breast cancer with matched women without cancer.
MethodsData were derived from two Dutch cohorts: the CLIMB study (women aged [≥]75 years with operable breast cancer) and the ISCOPE study (community-dwelling women aged [≥]75 years without cancer). Breast cancer patients were matched 1:2 to controls on age and baseline functional or cognitive status. Functional status was assessed using the Groningen Activity Restriction Scale (GARS), and cognitive function using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Longitudinal changes over 12 months were analyzed using both unadjusted and confounder-adjusted linear mixed models.
Results168 breast cancer patients and 336 matched breast cancer-free controls were included with a mean age of 80 years. Most breast cancer patients had stage 0-I or II disease and received surgery and/or radiotherapy; 48% received adjuvant endocrine therapy, chemotherapy was rare (<1%). At baseline, both cohorts were comparable in age and functional or cognitive status, although there was a higher comorbidity burden in the control cohort. No significant differences in functional or cognitive decline were observed between the cohorts over 12 months.
ConclusionsIn older women, early breast cancer and its treatment did not lead to accelerated decline in functional status or cognitive function within the first year compared to matched older women without cancer. These findings suggest that, for relatively fit older patients, breast cancer treatment may not accelerate functional decline in the short term.
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BibTeX
@misc{plaskrijgsman2026decline,
title = {{No decline in functional status or cognitive function during the first year after treatment initiation for early-stage breast cancer in women aged 75 years and older: a prospective observational matched cohort study}},
author = {W. G. van der Plas-Krijgsman and J. W. Blom and M. G. M. Derks and T. van Dalen and L. van Gerven and O. R. Guicherit and T. E. Lans and E. M. H. Linthorst-Niers and J. W. S. Merkus and A. J. E. Vulink and S. P. Mooijaart and N. A. de Glas and J. Gussekloo and G.-J. Liefers and J. E. A. Portielje},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.64898/2026.10.14.26365509},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.14.26365509v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - No decline in functional status or cognitive function during the first year after treatment initiation for early-stage breast cancer in women aged 75 years and older: a prospective observational matched cohort study
AU - W. G. van der Plas-Krijgsman
AU - J. W. Blom
AU - M. G. M. Derks
AU - T. van Dalen
AU - L. van Gerven
AU - O. R. Guicherit
AU - T. E. Lans
AU - E. M. H. Linthorst-Niers
AU - J. W. S. Merkus
AU - A. J. E. Vulink
AU - S. P. Mooijaart
AU - N. A. de Glas
AU - J. Gussekloo
AU - G.-J. Liefers
AU - J. E. A. Portielje
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.10.14.26365509
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.14.26365509v1
AB - BackgroundThis study compared functional and cognitive trajectories in older women treated for early breast cancer with matched women without cancer. MethodsData were derived from two Dutch cohorts: the CLIMB study (women aged [≥]75 years with operable breast cancer) and the ISCOPE study (community-dwelling women aged [≥]75 years without cancer). Breast cancer patients were matched 1:2 to controls on age and baseline functional or cognitive status. Functional status was assessed using the Groningen Activity Restriction Scale (GARS), and cognitive function using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Longitudinal changes over 12 months were analyzed using both unadjusted and confounder-adjusted linear mixed models. Results168 breast cancer patients and 336 matched breast cancer-free controls were included with a mean age of 80 years. Most breast cancer patients had stage 0-I or II disease and received surgery and/or radiotherapy; 48% received adjuvant endocrine therapy, chemotherapy was rare (<1%). At baseline, both cohorts were comparable in age and functional or cognitive status, although there was a higher comorbidity burden in the control cohort. No significant differences in functional or cognitive decline were observed between the cohorts over 12 months. ConclusionsIn older women, early breast cancer and its treatment did not lead to accelerated decline in functional status or cognitive function within the first year compared to matched older women without cancer. These findings suggest that, for relatively fit older patients, breast cancer treatment may not accelerate functional decline in the short term.
ER -