ABSTRACT
Cancer treatment has progressed remarkably owing to the development of various molecular biological approaches and advances in therapeutic drugs. As for the neurological system, it is reported that drug therapy can cause acute or chronic peripheral nerve disorders and central nervous system disorders such as encephalitis and encephalopathy. These treatment-related cognitive dysfunctions are now collectively referred to as cancer brain. The chapter discusses the relationship between cancer and central nervous disorders generally and the effects of cancer and drug therapy in particular. Anticancer treatments can cause acute neurotoxicity. In addition to this, pharmacological anticancer treatments can lead to subtle cognitive impairment in the medium- to long-term progress. Patients may have contracted cognitive impairment before starting the cancer treatment. In some such cases, the condition was related to the stress response experienced at the time of cancer diagnosis or the anxiety and depression associated with the treatment.
