title: Brain structure and function in patients with ovarian cancer treated with first-line chemotherapy: a pilot study.
abstract: Women with ovarian cancer often undergo chemotherapy involving multiple agents. However, little is known about treatment-related central neurotoxicity in this population. The goal of this cross-sectional study was to assess brain structure and function and neurocognitive abilities in patients with ovarian cancer following first-line chemotherapy. Eighteen patients with ovarian, peritoneal and fallopian tube cancer and eighteen healthy controls matched for gender, age and education participated in the study. The patients were evaluated 1-4 months following completion of first-line taxane/platinum chemotherapy. All participants underwent structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and completed neuropsychological tests of attention, memory and executive functions. Neuroimaging assessments included voxel-based morphometry (VBM) for measuring gray matter (GM) volume, and functional MRI (fMRI) during the N-back working memory task. The results of VBM showed that patients had significantly reduced GM volume compared to healthy controls in the right middle/superior frontal gyrus, and in the left supramarginal gyrus and left inferior parietal lobule. fMRI results indicated significantly decreased activation in patients relative to healthy controls in the left middle frontal gyrus and left inferior parietal lobule during the N-back task (1/2/3-back >0-back). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups on the neuropsychological tests. This is the first study showing structural and functional alterations involving frontal and parietal regions in patients with ovarian cancer treated with first-line chemotherapy. These findings are congruent with studies involving women with breast cancer, and provide additional supporting evidence for central neurotoxicity associated with taxane/platinum chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neurology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10021, USA. corread@mskcc.org.
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Correa
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Root
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neurology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kryza-Lacombe
authors.affiliation: Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.affiliation: Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karimi
authors.affiliation: Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hensley
authors.affiliation: , New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Relkin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009929:Organ Size; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017671:Platinum Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity; D000074286:Preliminary Data; D043823:Taxoids / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds; D017671:Platinum Compounds; D043823:Taxoids; C080625:taxane
keywords: Chemotherapy; Cognitive; MRI; Ovarian cancer; fMRI