Title:Radiotherapy and Its Impact on the Nervous System of Cancer Survivors
Volume: 19
Issue: 5
Author(s): Gautam Kumar, Priyadarshini Dutta, Vipan K. Parihar, Mallikarjuna R. Chamallamudi and Nitesh Kumar*
Affiliation:
- Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal-576104, Karnataka,India
Keywords:
Radiotherapy, cancer survivors, delayed effects, neurologic complications, cognitive impairment, neurotoxicity.
Abstract: Radiotherapy is routinely used for the treatment of nearly all brain tumors, but it may lead
to progressive and debilitating impairments of cognitive function. The growing evidence supports the
fact that radiation exposure to CNS disrupts diverse cognitive functions including learning, memory,
processing speed, attention and executive functions. The present review highlights the types of radiotherapy
and the possible mechanisms of cognitive deficits and neurotoxicity following radiotherapy.
The review summarizes the articles from Scopus, PubMed, and Web of science search engines. Radiation
therapy uses high-powered x-rays, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells, with minimal
damage to healthy cells. While radiotherapy has yielded relative success in the treatment of cancer, patients
are often plagued with unwanted and even debilitating side effects from the treatment, which can
lead to dose reduction or even cessation of treatment. Little is known about the underlying mechanisms
responsible for the development of these behavioral toxicities; however, neuroinflammation is
widely considered as one of the major mechanisms responsible for radiotherapy-induced toxicities.
The present study reviews the different types of radiotherapy available for the treatment of various
types of cancers and their associated neurological complications. It also summarizes the doses of radiations
used in the variety of radiotherapy, and their early and delayed side effects. Special emphasis
is given to the effects of various types of radiations or late side effects on cognitive impairments.