Can breast cancer treatment affect the brain?
| Dec 27, 2018, 11:12 IST
Published in the Journal of Neuroscience, this new research has studied the common marmoset as an important non-human primate model for studying the effects of estrogen-reducing treatments on the nervous system. It turns out that the treatment of breast cancer can have some side effects that impact the brain.
Letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor used to prevent breast cancer recurrence have side effects such as mood disturbances and memory issues in both humans and animals as it interferes with the production of estrogens. And little is known about how the drug impacts the brain. Also, this research administered Letrozole to male and female marmosets via pudding for four weeks and observed many of the same behavioural changes, including hot flashes and increased anxiety. They found that Letrozole eventually compromised the function of neurons in the hippocampus and impaired spatial memory.
Letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor used to prevent breast cancer recurrence have side effects such as mood disturbances and memory issues in both humans and animals as it interferes with the production of estrogens. And little is known about how the drug impacts the brain. Also, this research administered Letrozole to male and female marmosets via pudding for four weeks and observed many of the same behavioural changes, including hot flashes and increased anxiety. They found that Letrozole eventually compromised the function of neurons in the hippocampus and impaired spatial memory.