It is becoming increasingly clear that newer chemotherapy treatments can significantly
improve long-term survival rates for cancer patients. However, it is also becoming
apparent that these treatments can be associated with long-term toxicities, including
the possibility of cognitive decline. a number of factors may contribute to the development
of cognitive impairment in cancer patients. It would seem that the symptom complex
of chemotherapy-associated cognitive dysfunction, or 'chemobrain' as it is sometimes
called in the international literature, is often underdiagnosed. This is despite the
fact that it is one of the leading mental health problems in patients with malignant
cancer. It is of the utmost importance that this issue is recognised and that appropriate
management is put in place, as chemotherapy-associated neurocognitive impairment among
people with cancer has the potential to significantly impair quality of life. In our
non-systematic (narrative) summary study, we aim to provide a brief overview of the
clinical picture and differential diagnosis of chemotherapy-associated neurocognitive
impairment, as well as an overview of the main aspects of screening and treatment.
We recognise that the characteristics of the symptomatic picture and the specific
course of the disease raise a number of methodological issues that may be the subject
of further empirical studies. Keywords: chemobrain, neurocognitive dysfunction, chemotherapy,
cancer, mental health.
