Author Identifier
Nicolas H. Hart: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2794-0193
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Supportive Care in Cancer
Volume
33
Issue
2
PubMed ID
39904905
Publisher
Springer
School
Exercise Medicine Research Institute / School of Medical and Health Sciences
Funders
MASCC Cognition Fellowship / National Institutes of Health (R21NR020497) / National Health and Medical Research Council
Grant Number
NHRMC Numbers : APP2018070, APP1176221, APP1194051, GNT1154651
Abstract
Purpose: A significant number of cancer survivors experience cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI), which can impact their ability to think, reason, make decisions, and perform daily actions. In recent years, non-pharmacological interventions for CRCI have gained significant attention. These interventions include exercise, cognitive behavioural therapy, cognitive training/remediation, dietary, mind–body, and multi-modal/complex interventions. This umbrella review provides a critical overview to inform guidelines and current practice, identify the most promising interventions, and uncover gaps in the research literature. Methods: This umbrella review of systematic reviews was pre-registered on Open Science Framework and PROSPERO. Six databases were searched. Systematic reviews (SR) assessing any non-pharmacological interventions to improve cognition in cancer (any type) were included. The overview followed gold-standard guidelines and recommendations. The results were narratively synthesised, and descriptive statistics and effect size ranges were calculated. Results: Sixty-four (n = 64) SRs were included. Results were synthesised into four non-pharmacological domains. Cognitive training/rehabilitation had the strongest evidence for efficacy. Physical activity/exercise showed promising efficacy; however, the variability of findings was considerable. Mind–body and psychological/behavioural therapy interventions were limited, but there was evidence for short-term effectiveness. Multi-modal/complex interventions showed potential for improving cognition in cancer but were poorly defined. Conclusions: Overall, non-pharmacological interventions demonstrated efficacy for improving cognition in cancer. There were limited intervention characteristics within domains which were consistently related to efficacy. Three key recommendations are provided for future research: (1) adopt harmonisation and reporting guidelines; (2) develop definitional guidelines of cognitive domains for CRCI research; and (3) assess intervention and participant characteristics associated with positive versus null/negative findings.
DOI
10.1007/s00520-025-09212-3
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Comments
Haywood, D., Henneghan, A. M., Chan, A., Chan, R. J., Dhillon, H. M., Lustberg, M. B., ... & Hart, N. H. (2025). The effect of non-pharmacological interventions on cognitive function in cancer: An overview of systematic reviews. Supportive Care in Cancer, 33. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-025-09212-3