Scientists investigate why chemotherapy clouds thinking
NCT ID NCT03137095
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at why breast cancer patients often have trouble with memory, focus, and thinking after chemotherapy. Researchers will compare 150 women with breast cancer to healthy women of the same age using cognitive tests, blood samples, and optional brain MRIs. The goal is to understand how common these problems are and what biological changes might cause them.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could help explain why some breast cancer patients experience 'chemo brain' and point toward ways to prevent or manage it.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early observational study, not a treatment trial. It may not find clear causes or lead to immediate solutions.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 150 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2017
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Female breast cancer patients with a diagnosis of invasive non-metastatic breast cancer (stage I -IIIC) and age-matched, health female participants
- Ages
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21 years and older
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria, Breast Cancer Patient Participants: * Females with a diagnosis of invasive non-metastatic breast cancer (stage I-IIIC) * Scheduled to begin a course of chemotherapy with Adriamycin and Cytoxan * Chemotherapy naïve * Able to speak and read English * 21 years or older * Give written informed consent Exclusion Criteria, Breast Cancer Patient Participants: * Must not be currently hospitalized or have been hospitalized within the last year for a psychiatric illness * Must not be diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease) * Must not have any Central Nervous System disease (e.g., movement disorder, multiple sclerosis) * Subjects could have had a TIA (transient ischemic attack) or stroke in the past if the TIA or stroke was greater than 1 year ago and the subject does not have any remaining symptoms * Must not be scheduled to receive concurrent radiation treatment while receiving chemotherapy. * Must not be colorblind Inclusion Criteria, Control Participants: * Must be female and within 5 years of the age of the subject receiving chemotherapy * Able to speak and read English * Give written informed consent * 21 years or older Exclusion Criteria, Control Participants: * Must not be currently hospitalized or have been hospitalized within the last year for a psychiatric illness * Must not be diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease (e.g. Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease) * Must not have Central Nervous System disease (e.g., movement disorder, multiple sclerosis) * Subjects could have had a TIA (transient ischemic attack) or stroke in the past if the TIA or stroke was greater than 1 year ago and the subject does not have any remaining symptoms * Must not have been diagnosed with cancer or previously have received chemotherapy * Must not be colorblind For optional sub-study: MR safety assessed via Rochester Center for Brain Imaging Magnetic Resonance (MR) Safety Screening Form to confirm eligibility to participate
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Rochester
RECRUITINGRochester, New York, 14642, United States
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