Helmholtz Lecture - 2023-04-14 - Prof. Sanne Schagen

Title: How Neuropsychology is Impacting Cancer Care

Abstract: Today, more than 50 million people are living within five years of a past cancer diagnosis. Cancer survivorship comes with complications. Decrements in functioning affect patients’ capacity to work, diminish societal participation and increase health care utilization and costs. Up to 75% of patients with primary or secondary brain tumors experience cognitive impairment. It is perhaps less well-know that substantial numbers of patients with other types of cancer suffer from cognitive impairment as well; this may affect as many as 30% of cancer patients that do not have CNS disease. In this presentation I will focus on neurocognitive functioning in these non-CNS cancer patients and summarize the knowledge on the incidence, risk factors and causes of cognitive dysfunction in these patients. Recent developments in the understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying cancer therapy–associated neurotoxicity will be highlighted and pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions will be discussed.  Attention will be paid to the key role that multidisciplinary teams hold to advance our understanding of cancer and cancer therapies-associated cognitive dysfunction – an understanding that forms the basis of preserving and enhancing cognitive function.