title: Supportive care of neurologic complications.
abstract: Approximately one cancer patient in five will suffer from injuries to either the central or peripheral nervous system. These complications occur preferentially in the advanced stages of neoplastic disease, and their management is an important aspect of the supportive care of these patients. The most common neurologic complications seen in patients with cancer are related to metastases or to local tumor spread. Antineoplastic treatments, mainly chemotherapy or radiotherapy, account for more than 10% of these complications. A much smaller percentage (probably less than 1%) are paraneoplastic manifestations. In this review, we discuss the most recent developments in the management of neurologic complications specifically related to cancer as well as some less specific problems such as thromboembolic complications and the use of steroids.
authors.affiliation: Hôpital Erasme, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hildebrand
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gangji
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001918:Brachytherapy; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D016371:Cranial Irradiation; D004824:Epidural Space; D006801:Humans; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D009423:Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D010166:Palliative Care; D010257:Paraneoplastic Syndromes / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D015995:Prevalence; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents