Cancer, chemotherapy and cognitive dysfunction

Abstract

Decline in cognitive function, such as memory impairment, is one of the most commonly reported symptoms in cancer patients. Importantly, cognitive impairment is not restricted to patients treated for brain tumors, but also frequently present in patients treated for tumors outside the nervous system. Recent discoveries from preclinical and translational studies have defined various risk factors and mechanisms underlying such symptoms. The translation of these findings into clinical practice will improve patient management by limiting the degree of neurotoxicity from current therapies, and by exploring novel mechanisms of brain repair.