Visual Pathway Degeneration in Chemotherapy-Related Neurotoxicity: A Review and Directions for Future Research

ABSTRACT

Chemotherapy-related neurotoxicity (CRNT) is an emerging public health concern. Visual pathway degeneration may be a symptom of CRNT. We surveyed the current literature for evidence of visual pathway degeneration in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. A systematic review was conducted in PubMed. Six published articles met our inclusion criteria. The studies showed reduced retinal thickness, primarily in the retinal nerve fibre layer, and impaired inner retinal function in patients receiving chemotherapy. In summary, the current literature suggests chemotherapy may induce visual pathway degeneration. Future research may benefit from improving study design, exploring mechanisms of chemotherapy-related visual pathway degeneration, and incorporating these findings into biomarker development.

KEYWORDS:

• Cancer
• chemotherapy
• electroretinography
• neurotoxicity
• optical coherence tomography
• retina

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Deepta Ghate, M.D., Matthew Van Hook, Ph.D., and Wallace Thoreson, Ph.D. in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Nebraska Medical Center for valuable discussions related to this work. Funding for this research was provided by the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.