Countermeasures to neurological adverse reactions of chemotherapy

Anti-tumor drugs often cause adverse reactions on both central and peripheral nervous systems. Prevention and early detection is essential, since proper treatment scarcely protects against adverse reactions once appeared in the nervous system. Precise neurological examination at bed side must be done before starting the chemotherapy and along the course periodically. Radiological diagnosis (including CT and MRI) and electrophysiological evaluation (including electroencephalogram and nerve conduction study) are informative as supplemental tools. Neurological and psychiatric symptoms and signs resulting from the major adverse reactions are reviewed, taken notice of prevention and countermeasures. Inclusive of amifostine there exist no neuroprotectants proving clinical utility at present. Some neuroprotectants are briefly introduced, of which efficacy animal experiments have demonstrated.