The Multifactorial Model of Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment

Problem Identification: Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is common and is associated with cancer and its treatments. Evidence suggests that the causes are multifactorial, but the field is lacking a comprehensive conceptual model of CRCI to summarize existing knowledge and provide a way to understand and predict causal links, as well as to generate hypotheses.

Literature Search: PubMed^® and Google Scholar™ were searched, and 130 articles demonstrated several lacking factors needed for a more comprehensive CRCI model.

Data Evaluation: The new multifactorial model of CRCI includes social determinants of health, patient-specific factors, co-occurring symptoms, treatment factors, and biologic mechanisms.

Synthesis: The multifactorial model of CRCI is based on established and emerging evidence. This model is inclusive of all cancer types and associated treatments.

Implications for Nursing: Although it would be ideal to evaluate all the concepts and components in this model in a comprehensive fashion, investigators with existing datasets could evaluate portions of the model to determine directionality for some of the proposed relationships. The new model can be used to design preclinical and clinical studies of CRCI. Knowledge of the occurrence of CRCI and factors that contribute to this symptom will allow nurses to perform assessments of modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors.