Neurocognitive effects of chemotherapy and endocrine therapies in the treatment of breast cancer: Recent perspectives

With an estimated 207,090 patients diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, the role of chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment is of growing importance. Studies to determine the impact of chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment have been hindered by difficulties in study-design, in particular, study methodology. Here, we present a review of existing studies and discuss several mechanisms for chemotherapy-induced neurocognitive impairment in breast cancer patients, such as direct neurotoxic injury, telomere shortening, oxidative stress, cytokine dysregulation, estrogen-mediated effects, and the role of certain genetic polymorphisms. Decreased estrogen levels may serve as a link between multiple mechanisms potentiating the effects of the chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment.