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CT treatment destroys brain cells?

Page last modified on: December 3, 2008
Question from Dray: Are brain cells destroyed by Cytoxan (chemical name: cyclophosphamide) and Taxotere (chemical name: docetaxel) treatment?
Answers —Christina Meyers, Ph.D., A.B.P.P.: There have been no studies looking at Cytoxan other than very acute changes. Cytoxan can cause oxidative stress in the brain, but there's nothing to my knowledge that damages the brain from Cytoxan, i.e. long-term cell death. They know there is an effect on the brain for sure, but that doesn't necessarily translate to dead brain cells that don't come back.
George Sledge, M.D.: As with so many things tonight, we don't know. A decade ago when we looked at high-dose chemotherapy for breast cancer patients and compared that to standard-dose chemotherapy, there was higher incidence of brain effects in high-dose. In many cases, we were talking about higher doses of Cytoxan.

On Wednesday, October 15, 2008, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Managing Chemo Brain. Christina Meyers, Ph.D., A.B.P.P. and George Sledge, M.D. answered your questions about how long chemo brain can last, what treatments can be helpful, and current research on cognitive effects of breast cancer treatment.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Christina Meyers, Ph.D., A.B.P.P. is a board certified neuropsychologist. She created the Neuropsychology Service in the newly formed Department of Neuro-Oncology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in 1984.

George Sledge, M.D.George Sledge, M.D. is the Ballvé-Lantero Professor of Oncology at Indiana University at Indianapolis, where he co-directs Indiana University Simon Cancer Center's Breast Cancer Program.

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