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. 2017 Mar 21;8:138. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00138

Table 5.

Summary of methods and results from selected studies concerning genetic predictive factors.

Authors Type of study Age mean ± (SD or range) Cancer location (n) Treatment type Studied factors Measurements Results
Biological tests Assessed cognitive domains Time of assessment Observed cognitive impairments Association with studied predictive factors
GENETIC PREDICTORS
Kamdar et al., 2011 Prospective cohort 4.4 ± 3.9 −12.1 ± 11.3 ALL (n = 62) Methotrexate chemotherapy 6 Genotype polymorphisms (folate pathway: MTHFRa 677C>T MTHFR 1298A>C SHMTb 1420C>T MSc 2759 A>G MTRRd 66A>G TSERe2R/3R TSER3R/3R Genotyping essay by PCR (Venipuncture)

  • - Attention

  • - Processing speed

  • - Verbal fluency

  • - Visuo-spatial motor speed (battery of tests)

 Years after end of therapy: 5.3± 4.4 Global cognitive functioning: 44.3% of patients Combined effect of multiple folate pathway polymorphisms (MS and MTHFR): ↗cognitive disturbance probability (attention and processing speed)
Krull et al., 2013a Cohort 7.0 ± 3.11 ALL (n = 243) Chemotherapy (without prophylactic cranial irradiation) Many genetic polymorphisms Genotyping by PCR (Venipuncture)

  • - General intelligence

  • - Processing speed

  • - Working memory

  • - Sustained attention

  • - + cognitive complaints (assessed by parents)

 2 years completion of consolidation therapy Sustained attention and attention difficulties reported by parents MS (/ MAOAf/ APOEg) polymorphisms:

  • ↗ Cognitive disturbance probability (attentiveness and response speed)
Small et al., 2011 Cross-sectional, Case-control 56.93 ± 9.01 (RT) 51.22 ± 8.63 (CT) Breast (RT: n = 58 CT: n = 72 Healthy Controls: n = 204) Chemotherapy and radiotherapy COMTh Genotype COMT-Val COMT-Met DNA collection by saliva and genotyping

  • - Overall cognition

  • - Episodic memory

  • - Attention

  • - Complex cognition

  • - Verbal fluency

  • - Motor speed (battery of tests)

 6 months after end of treatments

  • ° COMT-Val+ carriers performed worse than COMT-Met homozygote carriers: Attention, verbal fluency and motor speed

 COMT-Val homozygote:

  • ↗ Cognitive disturbances probability
a

MTHFR: 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase.

b

SHMT: serine hydroxylmethyltransferase.

c

MS: methionine synthase.

d

MTRR: methionine synthase reductase.

e

TSER: thymidylate synthase enhancer region.

f

MAOA : Monoamine oxidase A.

g

APOE: Apolipoprotein E.

h

COMT: Catechol-O-Methyltransferase.