Returning to work two years after a breast cancer diagnosis is associated with higher cognitive speed before and after treatment, according to a study published online August 19 in JAMA network opened.

Marie Lange, Ph.D., of Normandie Université UNICAEN in Caen, France, and colleagues examined whether cognitive abilities, assessed by objective and subjective measures, were associated with return to work two years after a breast cancer diagnosis. The analysis included 178 women with breast cancer.

The researchers found that 20.8% of women did not return to work in the second year. The likelihood of returning to work was higher among patients with a higher occupational class (ie, professional) and lower among patients who had undergone a mastectomy (24.1 versus 54.1%).

There was an association between return to work after two years and lower overall cognitive impairment (1-point unit increased odds ratio (1-point OR): 0.32), better working memory (1-point OR: 2.06), higher processing speed (1-point OR: 1.97), higher attention performance (1-point OR: 1.63), higher perceived cognitive abilities (1-point OR: 1.12), and lower depression (1-point OR: 0.83). Associations were observed between return to work and higher processing speed (1-point OR at baseline and in the first year: 2.38 and 1.95, respectively), higher executive performance (1-point ORs: 2.61 and 2.88, respectively), and lower physical fatigue (10-point ORs: 0.81 and 0.84, respectively).

“Cognitive difficulties should be assessed before returning to work to suggest appropriate treatment,” the authors write.

Two authors revealed connections to the pharmaceutical industry.

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