["Chemobrain": Neurocognitive dysfunction associated with chemotherapy]

Abstract

It is becoming increasingly clear that newer chemotherapy treatments can significantly improve long-term survival rates for cancer patients. However, it is also becoming apparent that these treatments can be associated with long-term toxicities, including the possibility of cognitive decline. a number of factors may contribute to the development of cognitive impairment in cancer patients. It would seem that the symptom complex of chemotherapy-associated cognitive dysfunction, or 'chemobrain' as it is sometimes called in the international literature, is often underdiagnosed. This is despite the fact that it is one of the leading mental health problems in patients with malignant cancer. It is of the utmost importance that this issue is recognised and that appropriate management is put in place, as chemotherapy-associated neurocognitive impairment among people with cancer has the potential to significantly impair quality of life. In our non-systematic (narrative) summary study, we aim to provide a brief overview of the clinical picture and differential diagnosis of chemotherapy-associated neurocognitive impairment, as well as an overview of the main aspects of screening and treatment. We recognise that the characteristics of the symptomatic picture and the specific course of the disease raise a number of methodological issues that may be the subject of further empirical studies.

Keywords: chemobrain; neurocognitive dysfunction; chemotherapy; cancer; mental health.