Maria Ljungberg1,2, Erik Fernström3, Oscar Jalnefjord1,2, Mikael Montelius1, Thomas Björk-Eriksson3, Marie Kalm4, and Marianne Jarfelt5
1Radiation Physics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Göteborg, Sweden, 2Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden, 3Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences Sahlgrenska Academy Gothenburg University, Göteborg, Sweden, 4Health and Rehabilitation, Institute of neuroscience and physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy Gothenburg University, Göteborg, Sweden, 5Pediatrics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy Gothenburg University, Göteborg, Sweden
Modern cranial radiotherapy (CRT) achieves high targeted doses of
radiation to brain tumours, which has resulted in an increased population of
long-term survivors of childhood cancer. Unfortunately, the CRT cause radiation
damage to the healthy brain which results in cognitive deficits. In a
group of adult childhood cancer survivors lower ratios of tNAA/tCho, Glu/tCho
and Glu/tCr were obtained in the hippocampus for the patient group that
received highest radiation doses to target volume as compared to the group that
did not receive any CRT, indicating a still ongoing process of e.g inflammation,
re-myelination and gliosis due to CRT
