Neurological Effects of Chemotherapy on Young Children

According to the Institute of Medicine, two in three children who survive cancer go on to have side effects of the cancer or the treatment. Many childhood cancers effect the central nervous system, and the treatment frequently causes neurological side effects.

Timing

• According to the Journal of Biology, the timing of cancer treatment has an impact on later complications. The very young seem especially vulnerable to central nervous system cancers and their treatments.

Neurological Effects

• Chemotherapy can cause severe neurotoxicity, leading to a decline in cognitive abilities, lowering IQ scores. Perhaps 40 percent of children treated with chemotherapy have IQs less than 85.

Types

• Neurological impairments from chemotherapy can include short-term memory loss, lowered processing speed and difficulty with attention and concentration, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Other Effects

• The Pediatric-Oncology Resource Center cites chemotherapy as a cause for motor weakness, hearing loss, fatigue and irritability as well as poor academic achievement.

Significance

• Because previous studies found significant long-term side effects from central nervous system radiation, it has become standard to use high dose chemotherapy especially in the very young. However, it is a difficult balance for doctors to save their young cancer patients while considering the serious side effects that may last years after treatment ends.