Tumour brain: pre‐treatment cognitive and affective disorders caused by peripheral cancers

Mampay, Myrthe; Flint, Melanie S.; Sheridan, Graham K.

Abstract

People that develop extracranial cancers often display co-morbid neurological disorders, such as anxiety, depression and cognitive impairment, even before commencement of chemotherapy. This suggests bidirectional crosstalk between non-CNS tumours and the brain, which can regulate peripheral tumour growth. However, the reciprocal neurological effects of tumour progression on brain homeostasis are not well understood. Here, we review brain regions involved in regulating peripheral tumour development and how they, in turn, are adversely affected by advancing tumour burden. Tumour-induced activation of the immune system, blood–brain barrier breakdown and chronic neuroinflammation can lead to circadian rhythm dysfunction, sleep disturbances, aberrant glucocorticoid production, decreased hippocampal neurogenesis and dysregulation of neural network activity, resulting in depression and memory impairments. Given that cancer-related cognitive impairment diminishes patient quality of life, reduces adherence to chemotherapy and worsens cancer prognosis, it is essential that more research is focused at understanding how peripheral tumours affect brain homeostasis.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 5, 2021
• Online Publication Date: May 24, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021-10
• Deposit Date: Jun 7, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 7, 2021
• Journal: British Journal of Pharmacology
• Print ISSN: 0007-1188
• Electronic ISSN: 1476-5381
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 178
• Issue: 19
• Pages: 3977-3996
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.15571
• Keywords: Pharmacology
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/5649870
• Publisher URL: https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.15571