Table 1.
Chemotherapy | Acute / subacute CNS effects | Potential long-term CNS effects |
---|---|---|
Methotrexate (systemic or intrathecal) |
Seizures Leukoencephalopathy Myelopathy Aseptic meningitis |
Attention deficits Processing speed deficits Seizures |
Cytosine arabinoside | Cerebellar ataxia Aseptic meningitis Myelopathy Meningismus |
Cognitive deficits Hemiparesis |
AraG (Compound 506) | Somnolence Seizures |
Unknown |
Steroids | Sleep disturbance Mood/behavioral disorder PRES Transient psychosis |
Cognitive deficits |
5FU | Cerebellar ataxia | Unknown |
Ifosfamide | Acute encephalopathy Hallucinations/delirium Aseptic meningitis Cranial nerve palsy Movement disorder Seizure |
Cognitive deficits |
Asparaginase | Thrombotic stroke Encephalopathy |
Unknown |
Cyclosporine | Leukoencephalopathy | Unknown |
Cisplatin | Ototoxicity Peripheral neuropathy |
Sensorineural hearing loss |
Vincristine | Peripheral neuropathy Autonomic/cranial Neuropathy |
Peripheral neuropathy |
Angiogenesis inhibitors | Hypertension Stroke/bleeding |
Unknown |
* This table is not intended to be comprehensive. Novel targeted agents more recently introduced into practice have not been included. CNS = central nervous system; PRES = posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome.