Surveillance of long-term complications after treatment of adult brain tumor survivors-review and evidence-based recommendations.

As a result of treatment and diagnosis, adults with primary or metastatic brain tumors experience comorbidities that impacts their health and well-being. The Children's Oncology Group has guideline recommendations for childhood survivors of brain tumors; however, guidelines for monitoring long-term sequela among adult brain tumor survivors are lacking. The purpose of this review is to present the screening recommendations for the long-term complications after brain tumor treatment from a multidisciplinary panel of healthcare professionals. Chronic complications identified include cognitive dysfunction, vasculopathy, endocrinopathy, ophthalmic, ototoxicity, physical disability, sleep disturbance, mood disorder, unemployment, financial toxicity, and secondary malignancy. We invited specialists across disciplines to perform a literature search and provide expert recommendations for surveillance for long-term complications for adult brain tumor survivors. The Brain Tumor Center Survivorship Committee recommends routine screening using laboratory testing, subjective assessment of symptoms, and objective evaluations to appropriately monitor the complications of brain tumor treatments. Effective monitoring and treatment should involve collaboration with primary care providers and may require referral to other specialties and support services to provide patient-centered care during neuro-oncology survivorship. Further research is necessary to document the incidence and prevalence of medical complications as well as evaluate the efficacy of screening and neuro-oncology survivorship programs.

Ischemic Stroke Risk Among Adult Brain Tumor Survivors: Evidence to Guide Practice.

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Primary brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States affecting approximately 90,000 Americans each year. A major complication for brain tumor survivors is acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Currently, there are limited research to provide guidelines for AIS prevention and management in adult brain tumor survivors. The purpose of this review is to discuss the most common risk factors for AIS in adult brain tumor survivors along with best evidence for assessment, screening, and strategies to prevent AIS in this population. METHODS: Relevant literature was identified by searching CINAHL and PubMed databases using the following keywords: "brain tumor survivors," "adults," "stroke," "risk factors," "guidelines," "prevention," and "management". Articles not pertaining to adult brain tumor survivors and AIS were excluded. RESULTS: The location of the tumor, dose, extent, and type of radiation contribute to the development of vascular injury and subsequent carotid stenosis among brain tumor survivors. Endothelial growth factor inhibitor and chemotherapy drugs induces vascular remodeling. Other symptoms such as neurological impairments and co-morbidities are also present among brain tumor survivors. Furthermore, AIS increases from the time of primary brain tumor diagnosis and incidence further increases among patients who were diagnosed with a brain tumor as a child. CONCLUSION: Nurses play a key role in the assessment, prevention, and identifying individuals who are at risk of AIS during brain tumor survivorship. Engaging patients and their caregivers on minimizing their risks of AIS is crucial in the outpatient setting. Annual surveillance visits that include intracranial artery imaging should be used to identify individuals considered most at risk for developing AIS symptoms.