Chemotherapy and cognition: comprehensive review on doxorubicin-induced chemobrain

• Published in: Cancer chemotherapy and pharmacology Vol. 84; no. 1; pp. 1 - 14
• Main Authors: El-Agamy, Sara Emad, Abdel-Aziz, Amal Kamal, Esmat, Ahmed, Azab, Samar S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.07.2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic - administration & dosage; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic - adverse effects; Brain - physiopathology; Cancer; Cancer Research; Chemotherapy; Cognition - drug effects; Cognition Disorders - chemically induced; Cognition Disorders - physiopathology; Cognitive ability; Doxorubicin; Doxorubicin - administration & dosage; Doxorubicin - adverse effects; Drug therapy; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neoplasms - drug therapy; Neurotoxicity; Oncology; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Quality of Life; Review Article; Chemobrain; Neuropsychological tests; Doxorubicin; Memory; Hippocampus
• ISSN: 0344-5704; 1432-0843; 1432-0843
• DOI: 10.1007/s00280-019-03827-0

Chemobrain refers to a common sequela experienced by a substantial subset of cancer patients exposed to chemotherapeutic treatment, a phenomenon that dramatically deteriorates the survivors’ quality of life and prevents them from restoring their pre-cancer life. This review is intended to address the current knowledge regarding the mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of the chemobrain phenomenon, with special focus on the antineoplastic agent ‘’doxorubicin’’, which has been shown to be implicated in strenuous central neurotoxicity despite being—almost entirely—peripherally confined. Moreover, the assessment of the post-chemotherapy cognitive impairment in both human and animal subjects, and the potential pharmacotherapy and behavioral intervention strategies are reviewed.