A prospective study of cognitive function in men with non-seminomatous germ cell tumors.

Objective: Longitudinal neuropsychological assessments were performed to determine if adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with cognitive dysfunction in men with non-seminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCT).

Methods: Patients with NSGCT status post-orchiectomy that either received adjuvant chemotherapy (n = 55) or did not (n = 14) were recruited. Patients were tested before chemotherapy, 1 week post-chemotherapy (or 3 months later in the surveillance group) and 12 months after the baseline evaluation.

Cognitive impairment in men with testicular cancer prior to adjuvant therapy.

Background: Cognitive dysfunction experienced by individuals with cancer represents an important survivorship issue because of its potential to affect occupational, scholastic, and social activities. Whereas early efforts to characterize cognitive dysfunction primarily focused on the effects of chemotherapy, more recent evidence indicates that impairment may exist before systemic treatment. This study characterized cognitive dysfunction before adjuvant chemotherapy in a sample of men diagnosed with nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCT) of the testis.

Instruments for estimation of health-related quality of life in patients with skull base neoplasms.

With advances in treatment of patients with tumors of the skull base and associated improvement in length of survival, the need for assessment of quality of life (QOL) is becoming increasingly apparent. A thorough assessment of QOL, including functional, physical, social, and emotional status, as well as disease-specific symptoms, allows for comparison of treatments and informs treatment decisions. In addition, it allows for problems following intervention to be identified and addressed, thereby assisting patients in their pursuits of returning to their normal activities and level of functioning.