Brain metastases and treatment: multiplying cognitive toxicities.

This article reviews the role of cancer treatments in cognitive decline of patients with brain metastases: surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, immunotherapies and hormone therapy. Pathological and molecular mechanisms, as well as future directions for limiting cognitive toxicities are also presented. Other causes of cognitive impairment in this population are discussed in order to refine the benefit-risk balance of each treatment modality. Expert Opinion: Cumulative cognitive toxicity should be taken into account, and tailored to the patient's cognitive risk in the light of the expected survival benefit. Standardization of cognitive assessment in this context is needed in order to better appreciate each treatment's responsibility in cognitive impairment, keeping in mind disease itself impacts cognition in this context. PMID: 30755047 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy - Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Expert Rev Anticancer Ther Source Type: research