Brain Functional Networks Affected by Neoadjuvant Chemo in Breast Cancer
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, April 14, 2025 -- For patients with breast cancer, the brain functional network shows a shift toward a more randomized pattern after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), with progression of chemotherapy leading to expanded abnormalities, according to a study published online April 9 in the Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
Jing Yang, from the Chongqing University Cancer Hospital in China, and colleagues examined changes in the brain connectome of patients with breast cancer at several time points during NAC in a longitudinal study. Fifty-five patients with breast cancer underwent clinical assessments and functional magnetic resonance imaging at baseline (TP1), the first cycle of NAC (TP2; 30 days later), and the end (TP3; 140 days later). The same assessments were also performed on two matched female healthy control groups (20 and 18 participants).
The researchers found that patients with breast cancer showed increased global efficiency post-NAC (TP2-TP1 = 0.087; TP3-TP1 = 0.078), decreased characteristic path length (TP2-TP1 = −0.413; TP3-TP1= −0.312), and altered nodal centralities mainly in the frontal-limbic system and cerebellar cortex. With chemotherapy progression, these abnormalities expanded significantly (TP2 versus TP3). There was also a correlation seen for topological parameter changes with clinical scale changes. There were no differences within or between healthy control groups or for breast cancer subgroups at TP1.
"The brain functional network in breast cancer patients after NAC showed a shift toward a more randomized pattern compared with that in breast cancer patients at baseline," the authors write. "The observed pattern of functional network connectivity alterations can more sensitively capture abnormalities in cognitive function and emotional processing in breast cancer patients after NAC."
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted April 2025
Read this next
Acute Ischemic Stroke Up in Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander People
FRIDAY, Sept. 5, 2025 -- The incidence of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is higher among Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (NHOPI) individuals than among other racial and ethnic...
Meal Timing May Shift With Aging, Is Linked to Health Changes
FRIDAY, Sept. 5, 2025 -- Meal timing changes with age and may reflect health changes in older adults, according to a study published online Sept. 4 in Communications...
Industry Payments Common Among Neurologists Prescribing MS Drugs
FRIDAY, Sept. 5, 2025 -- Nearly 80 percent of neurologists prescribing multiple sclerosis (MS) drugs receive payments from industry, according to a study published online Aug. 26...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.