Neurotoxicity and Breast Cancer Therapy

Breast cancer and its treatment are related with a range of neurotoxic symptoms, such as fatigue, cognitiveimpairment, and pain. While these symptoms generally subside after treatment completion, they become chronicin a significant subset of patients. Chemotherapy is one of the primary treatments for cancer. However, one of themost disturbing findings of recent studies of cancer survivors is the apparent prevalence of chemotherapyassociatedadverse neurological effects, including vascular complications, seizures, mood disorders, cognitivedysfunctions, and peripheral neuropathies. Epidemiological studies have discovered chemotherapy-inducedcognitive impairments and psychological distress in diverse types of cancer patients with peripheral tumors,including breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and lymphoma, as well as brain tumors such as glioma, glioblastoma,and primary central nervous system lymphoma. In addition, chemotherapy triggers changes in ion channels ondorsal root ganglia and dorsal horn neurons that generate secondary changes resulting in neuropathic pains.Thereis clear evidence of the neurotoxicity of at least some forms of chemotherapy, although factors related to the useof specific diagnostic techniques and cancer treatments may contribute to the side effects that have beenidentified. Neuroinflammation related to stress or cancer treatment and stress resulting from diagnosis, treatment,or (cancer-related) worrying are important predictors of a neurotoxic symptom experience, both during and aftertreatment for breast cancer. Reduced cellular energy (mitochondrial dysfunction) induced by oxygen radicalproduction, inflammation and stress as a consequence of cancer and/or cancer treatment as a final mechanismunderlying neurotoxic symptoms.

کلیدواژه ها:

Neurotoxicity ، Breast cancer ، Therapy ، Chemotherapy