Distress tolerance and perceived cancer-related cognitive impairment in nonmetastatic breast cancer.

Objective: Cancer- and cancer treatment-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is reported by many women with breast cancer (BC). Distress tolerance (DT) refers to both the perceived capacity and behavioral act of withstanding uncomfortable/aversive/negative emotional and/or physical experiences. Poor DT has been associated with worse cognitive performance, including executive dysfunction. Importantly, DT can be improved through psychological interventions. However, DT research in cancer has been limited. This study aimed to examine the relationship between DT and CRCI in women with BC.

Method: Women with nonmetastatic BC (n = 107, age ≥ 50 years) were recruited between 2016 and 2023, post BC surgery (54.2% lumpectomy and 38.3% mastectomy) but prior to adjuvant therapy, completed the Distress Tolerance Scale and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Scale, self-report measures of DT and CRCI, respectively. Hierarchical linear regression was used to test the associations between the DTS-Total Score (DTS-T) and CRCI on the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive subscales.

Results: DTS-T was significantly associated with perceived cognitive impairment (CogPCI, p = .015), perceived cognitive abilities (CogPCA, p < .001), and quality of life impact (CogQOL, p = .010), after controlling for age and days since surgery. DTS-T explained 12%, 27%, and 12% of the variance in CogPCI, CogPCA, and CogQOL, respectively.

Conclusion: Women with BC with greater ability to tolerate distress reported less CRCI, including less CogPCI, less CogQOL, and better CogPCA. Future directions should involve the use of objective measures of CRCI and longitudinal testing of its association with DT. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).