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Effects of chemotherapy on neurocognitive function in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A critical review of the literature
Author(s) -
Buizer Annemieke I.,
de Sonneville Leo M.J.,
Veerman Anjo J.P.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
pediatric blood and cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.116
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1545-5017
pISSN - 1545-5009
DOI - 10.1002/pbc.21869
Subject(s) - neurocognitive , medicine , blood cancer , chemotherapy , lymphoblastic leukemia , pediatrics , pediatric cancer , childhood cancer , oncology , cancer , cognition , intensive care medicine , leukemia , psychiatry
Abstract Chemotherapy‐only treatment has increasingly become the standard of treatment for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The objective of this review is to assess the present state of knowledge of the neurocognitive effects of central nervous system (CNS)‐directed chemotherapy in children with ALL, and to formulate directions for future research. We performed a review of studies published since 1997, that included an ALL group treated with chemotherapy only and a control group. Twenty‐one studies met our inclusion criteria. There is evidence of subtle long‐term neurocognitive deficits survivors of childhood ALL after treatment with chemotherapy only. These involve mainly processes of attention and of executive functioning, while global intellectual function is relatively preserved. Young age at diagnosis and female sex emerged as risk factors. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009;52:447–454. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.