Longitudinal follow-up of the intellectual and academic functioning of children receiving central nervous system-prophylactic chemotherapy for leukemia: A four-year final report

This longitudinal investigation extends our prospective study of the intell ectual and academic functioning of children treated for cancer to 4 years a fter diagnosis. In the longer term, the children who received central nervo us system (CNS) chemotherapy experienced greater neurocognitive deficits, p articularly in the area of academic achievement, than did the children who did not receive CNS chemotherapy. Specifically the CNS chemotherapy-treated children scored lower on academic tests of reading at 3 and 4 years after diagnosis. The results suggest that CNS chemotherapy prophylaxis may advers ely effect the development of higher-order mental abilities and cognitive s kills during the late-effects period and may also impair academic achieveme nt.