Servais, Zoé; Institut Jules Bordet > Psycho-Oncology Department ; ULB - Université Libre de Bruxelles > Psychosomatic and Psycho-oncology Research Unit
Libert, Yves; Institut Jules Bordet > Psycho-Oncology Department ; ULB - Université Libre de Bruxelles > Psychosomatic and Psycho-oncology Research Unit
Lahaye, Magali; UCLouvain - Université catholique de Louvain > Institut de recherche en sciences psychologiques
Grégoire, Charlotte ; Université de Liège - ULiège > GIGA > GIGA Neurosciences - Conscious Care Lab
Merckaert, Isabelle; Institut Jules Bordet > Psycho-Oncology Department ; ULB - Université Libre de Bruxelles > Psychosomatic and Psycho-oncology Research Unit
Language :
English
Title :
Cancer-related cognitive impairment in adolescents and young adults with cancer : a scoping review
Publication date :
July 2026
Journal title :
Current Opinion in Oncology
ISSN :
1040-8746
eISSN :
1531-703X
Publisher :
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, United States - Pennsylvania
1▪ HaywoodDHenneghanAMChanAet al. The effect of non-pharmacological interventions on cognitive function in cancer: an overview of systematic reviews. Support Care in Cancer 2025; 33:151.This umbrella review synthesizes systematic reviews on non-pharmacological interventions for cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) across cancer types and stages. Cognitive training and rehabilitation showed the most consistent benefits; physical activity yielded promising but variable effects, while mind–body, psychological, and multimodal approaches demonstrated limited or short-term efficacy, underscoring heterogeneity and the need for harmonized methods and clearer cognitive outcome definitions.
2▪ WolfeDMHamelCBerardJet al. Comparative effectiveness of interventions to treat cancer treatment–related cognitive impairment in adult cancer survivors following systemic therapy: a systematic review with network meta-analyses. Cancers 2025; 17:3430.This systematic review with network meta-analyses indicates that therapist-guided, group-based interventions combining cognitive rehabilitation and patient education are the most promising treatments for established cancer treatment–related cognitive impairment across multiple cognitive domains, while pharmacological approaches such as donepezil show no benefit; however, the certainty of evidence remains low, highlighting important methodological limitations in the field.
3 JungSOChoAYangDWKimH-J. Effects of chemotherapy on attention function in breast cancer patients: meta-analysis of longitudinal prospective cohort studies. Eur J Oncol Nurs 2025; 75:102820.
4 LeskinenSAlsalekSGalvezRet al. Chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment and changes in neural network dynamics: a systematic review. Neurology 2025; 104:e210130.
5▪▪ SheltonHBakitasMBowenPGet al. Neuroprotective interventions to prevent chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment in breast cancer survivors: a systematic review. Appl Neuropsychol Adult 2025.This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of neuroprotective interventions delivered during chemotherapy to prevent chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) in breast cancer survivors. Across five eligible studies, physical exercise, compensatory cognitive training, memantine, and probiotic supplementation were associated with favorable cognitive outcomes; however, small sample sizes, methodological heterogeneity, and risk of bias limit the strength and generalizability of the evidence, highlighting the need for CRCI-specific preventive strategies.
6 BoschettiADanesinLBevilacquaEet al. Investigating the trajectories of association between biomarkers and cancer-related cognitive impairment in patients with breast cancer: a systematic review. Cancers 2025; 17:3522.
7 IbrarMRaiHKMainAet al. Experiences of cancer-related cognitive impairment across cancer types: a qualitative systematic review. JMIR Cancer 2025; 11:e71996.
8 CapettiBContiLFerrariMVet al. Neuropsychological assessment in non-central nervous system cancer patients: A systematic review of cognitive screening and assessment within oncology practice. Health Psychol Rev 2025; 20:46–110.
9 AngWNNgSXRahmanSUFHeH. Effectiveness of computerised cognitive training on cognitive functioning and quality of life in cancer survivors with cancer-related cognitive impairments: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Oncol Nurs 2025; 79:103006.
10 CáceresMCMartín-Parrilla MÁMontanero-FernándezJet al. Cognitive stimulation interventions for chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment in breast cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Cancers 2025; 17:3001.
11 Sánchez-GómezCFernández-RodríguezEJJiménez-SánchezSet al. Effect of cognitive training on cancer-related cognitive impairment in patients with breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psycho-Oncology 2025; 34:e70251.
12 WangLHoM-HChoiEPHet al. Effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation in improving subjective and objective cognitive functions in cancer patients: a systematic review, pairwise, and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Int J Nurs Stud 2026; 174:105298.
13 HuCZhengYXingSet al. Exercise interventions in cancer-related cognitive impairment: an umbrella review. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2025; 104:1162–1176.
14 HungC-SChengY-TLiR-Het al. Effect of exercise interventions on cognitive function in breast cancer patients and survivors: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Breast Cancer 2025; 32:1180–1196.
15 PinheiroVHGPintoSSCardozoPSet al. The effect of exercise on cognitive function in breast cancer survivors: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Support Care Cancer 2025; 33:577.
16 JiaHLiuCLuYet al. Body–mind exercise for cancer-related cognitive impairment in breast cancer patients: a network meta-analysis. Breast Cancer Res Treatment 2025; 213:193–204.
17 JiangSSunYYuLet al. Effects of mindfulness-based interventions on cognitive impairment in patients with cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Clinical Health Psychol 2025; 25:100576.
18 YangPHuQZhangLet al. Effects of non-pharmacological interventions on cancer-related cognitive impairment in patients with breast cancer: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Eur J Oncol Nurs 2025; 75:102804.
19▪ McGradyMEWillardVWWilliamsAMBrinkmanTM. Psychological outcomes in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. J Clin Oncol 2024; 42:707–716.This narrative review highlights that adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors are at increased risk of adverse psychological outcomes across emotional health, social functioning, health behaviors, and cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI), with CRCI affecting a substantial subset of survivors and remaining poorly characterized due to heterogeneity in diagnoses, treatments, and developmental stage; the authors emphasize the need for developmentally tailored, multilevel interventions and rigorously designed trials to improve long-term psychological outcomes in this population.
20▪ VizerLMMiklesSPPiepmeierAT. Cancer-related cognitive impairment in survivors of adolescent and young adult non-central nervous system cancer: a scoping review. Psycho-Oncology 2022; 31:1275–1285.This scoping review shows that cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is common among adolescent and young adult survivors of non–central nervous system cancers, with a weighted prevalence of approximately 26%, and is associated with female sex, chemotherapy exposure, and comorbid conditions; CRCI substantially impacts role functioning, quality of life, and educational and occupational attainment, while the literature is dominated by cross-sectional, self-reported outcomes and reveals a critical lack of longitudinal, mechanistic, and intervention studies tailored to this population.
21 BrockHFriedrichMSenderARichterDGeueKMehnert-TheuerkaufALeuteritzK. Work ability and cognitive impairments in young adult cancer patients: associated factors and changes over time—results from the AYA-Leipzig study. J Cancer Survivorship 2022; 16:771–780.
22 ChanAChengIWangCet al. Cognitive impairment in adolescent and young adult cancer patients: pre-treatment findings of a longitudinal study. Cancer Med 2023; 12:4821–4831.
23 NgDQChengIWangCet al. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor as a biomarker in cancer-related cognitive impairment among adolescent and young adult cancer patients. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16298.
24 SmallBJReedDTometichDet al. Characterizing cancer-related cognitive impairment among adolescent and young adult cancer survivors: comparison to individuals without cancer. Cancer Med 2025; 14:e71363.
25 TrudeauJNgDQSayerMet al. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and cytokines as predictors of cognitive impairment in adolescent and young adult cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: a longitudinal study. BMC Cancer 2025; 25:1045.
26 TometichDBWelniakTGudenkaufLet al. “I couldn’t connect the wires in my brain”: young adult cancer survivors’ experience with cognitive functioning. Psycho-Oncology 2024; e6309.
27 TometichDBHershCMaconiMLet al. “It was a downward spiral”: a qualitative study of young adult cancer survivors’ experiences with cognitive and mental health. Cancers 2024; 16:3819.
28▪▪ GoochMMehtaAJohnTet al. Feasibility of cognitive training to promote recovery in cancer-related cognitive impairment in adolescent and young adult patients. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol 2022; 11:290–296.This pilot prospective study demonstrates the feasibility of early, computer-based cognitive training as a preventive intervention for cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) in adolescents and young adults undergoing chemotherapy. Exploratory remember aims show that patients receiving cognitive training exhibited less cognitive impairment across several domains compared with controls, while serum BDNF levels declined over time in both groups, suggesting potential cognitive benefit independent of detectable biomarker change and highlighting the need for further validation of BDNF in AYA CRCI.
29 ServaisZLibertYGrégoireCet al. Psychological interventions in adolescents and young adults with cancer: a scoping review targeting protective factors of resilience. Curr Opin Oncol 2025; 37:312–323.
