The impact of radiotherapy on cognitive development in pediatric patients with CNS tumor
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25758/set.835Keywords:
Radiotherapy, Pediatrics, Central nervous system, Brain tumors, Cognitive effects, IQAbstract
Introduction – Central nervous system (CNS) tumors are the second most common malignancy and the leading cause of cancer-related death in children and adolescents under the age of 20 years. Although therapeutic advances have increased the 5-year survival rate to approximately 80 percent, treatments still cause acute and late adverse effects. The acute effects of radiotherapy (RT) include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and headaches, while late effects include neurological and cognitive deficits that affect the quality of life. This study analyzed the late cognitive side effects of RT in pediatric patients with tumors of the central nervous system, an area that has not been explored in the scientific literature. Objectives – To identify the cognitive effects and understand their impact on the development of central nervous system tumors in pediatric patients undergoing RT. Methods – A systematic literature review was conducted following the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), and a systematic literature review was carried out. The search for scientific literature was carried out in December 2023 in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science databases according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria defined by PEOS. Results – A total of 25 articles were obtained, demonstrating changes in cognitive level, academic performance, and IQ. In addition, other factors, such as endocrine alterations and hearing loss, were identified. Conclusion – RT impacts the development and quality of life of patients, leading to various late cognitive effects. The identified effects were neuropsychological, neurocognitive, cognitive, and intellectual deficits, in executive function, difficulties in social integration, and carrying out daily activities, worse academic performance, processing speed, memory, attention problems, and a lower IQ.
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