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Chemotherapy-Related Neurotoxicity

  • Neuro-Oncology (LE Abrey, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Chemotherapy may have detrimental effects on either the central or peripheral nervous system. Central nervous system neurotoxicity resulting from chemotherapy manifests as a wide range of clinical syndromes including acute, subacute, and chronic encephalopathies, posterior reversible encephalopathy, acute cerebellar dysfunction, chronic cognitive impairment, myelopathy, meningitis, and neurovascular syndromes. These clinical entities vary by causative agent, degree of severity, evolution, and timing of occurrence. In the peripheral nervous system, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and myopathy are the two main complications of chemotherapy. CIPN is the most common complication, and the majority manifest as a dose-dependent length-dependent sensory axonopathy. In severe cases of CIPN, the dose of chemotherapy is reduced, the administration delayed, or the treatment discontinued. Few treatments are available for CIPN and based on meta-analysis, duloxetine is the preferred symptomatic treatment. Myopathy due to corticosteroid use is the most frequent cause of muscle disorders in patients with cancer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology 2. Pitié-Salpétrière Hospital, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), University Pierre and Marie Curie, Paris VI, Paris, France

    Sophie Taillibert

  2. Neuro-oncology, Neurosurgery Department, University Hospital, Lille, France

    Emilie Le Rhun

  3. Neurology, Medical Oncology Department, Oscar Lambret Center, Lille, France

    Emilie Le Rhun

  4. Lille University, INSERM U1192, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France

    Emilie Le Rhun

  5. Department of Neurology and Neurological Surgery, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, University of Washington, 825 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA

    Marc C. Chamberlain

Authors
  1. Sophie Taillibert
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  2. Emilie Le Rhun
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  3. Marc C. Chamberlain
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marc C. Chamberlain.

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Conflict of Interest

Marc C. Chamberlain declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Sophie Taillibert has received personal fees from Roche-France and Mundipharma-EDO.

Emilie Le Rhun has received grants (paid to her institution) from Mundipharma and Amgen.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Additional information

Sophie Taillibert and Emilie Le Rhun are co-first authors

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Neuro-Oncology

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Taillibert, S., Le Rhun, E. & Chamberlain, M.C. Chemotherapy-Related Neurotoxicity. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 16, 81 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-016-0686-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-016-0686-x

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