title: Prophylactic cranial irradiation: 5 years on.
abstract: With advances in cancer management, patients are living with the long-term sequelae of both cancer and its treatment. This era of cancer survivorship poses unique challenges to the interdisciplinary cancer team in terms of management and prevention of treatment-related toxicities. This paper describes the case of a 55-year-old patient with neurocognitive disturbance as a result of prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI). Five years after a diagnosis of small cell lung cancer, she is now an inpatient at a specialist palliative care unit. The current evidence for PCI and for potentially modifiable risk factors for neurocognitive disturbance as a consequence of PCI is explored.
authors.affiliation: Deparment of Neurology, Mercy University Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: Aoife C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Lowney
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Derek G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Power
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000379:methods; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D016371:Cranial Irradiation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D056784:Leukoencephalopathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: Neurocognitive impairment; Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation; Small Cell Lung < Cancer; Survivorship; Toxic Leucencephalopathy