Tumor- and treatment-related side effects after multimodal therapy of childhood intracranial germ cell tumors

Abstract

The present study indicates that former intracranial germ cell tumor patients suffer from remarkable long-term side effects, and that some of these late effects can develop or worsen months or years after cessation of oncologic therapy. Since life quality is an important parameter of cancer survival, careful follow-up of long-term survivors is mandatory, aimed at counteracting side effects as early as possible and therefore at minimizing long-term morbidity, which may considerably compromise quality of life.

Risk factors for osteoporosis in long-term survivors of intracranial germ cell tumors

“…In our subjects, the cumulative dose of irradiation on the tumor was 50.7±5.1 Gy (cranial 29.0±8.8 Gy; spinal 21.0± 10.4 Gy). Eighty-two percent of subjects had GHD and 75% had hypogonadism, which is consistent with previous studies [10,26,27].…”

Cognitive deficits associated with cancer: A model of subjective and objective outcomes

“…Localized or metastatic tumours in brain are thought to frequently disrupt mental functions, especially problem-solving skills and coping with novel situations (Meyers, 2000;Weitzner & Meyers, 1997). In summarizing literature with wide variation in definitions and methods of assessing impairment, previous reviewers have concluded that cognitive impairments affect a high number of people with primary or secondary brain tumours, especially if subtle impairments are included (Benesch et al, 2001;Weitzner & Meyers, 1997). Rates of neuropsychological impairment as high as 100% have been reported, in 68 people who had neurosurgery for recently diagnosed glioma compared with healthy controls (Klein et al, 2001).…”