Follow-up of cognitive functioning in patients with small cell lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Study of the course of possible treatment-related cognitive impairment in patients with small cell lung cancer.


METHODS
Thirty-two consecutive patients with small cell lung cancer underwent successive neurologic and neuropsychologic examinations until 5 months after prophylactic cranial irradiation, and in their pretherapeutic condition were compared to matched controls. Patients with brain metastases were excluded from this study.


RESULTS
Neurologic examination revealed central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities only in the 14 patients with brain metastases. In the remaining patients, neuropsychologic tests showed clear differences between the pretherapeutic performance of patients and that of matched controls (p < 0.001), but no significant deterioration either during or after therapy (0.1 < p < 0.8).


CONCLUSIONS
The difference between the pretherapeutic performance of patients and that of matched controls may indicate disease-related cognitive impairment. Within the observation period, no adverse effects of the used therapy were found. Our observations underline the importance of a pretherapeutic assessment in neurotoxicity research.
Department of Neurology, University Hospital Maastricht, The Netherlands.
A G
AG
van Oosterhout
P J
PJ
Boon
P J
PJ
Houx
G P
GP
ten Velde
A
A
Twijnstra
D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D016371:Cranial Irradiation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies