Cancer neuroscience: today and tomorrow
Central (CNS) and the peripheral nervous systems (PNS) are known to be responsible for regulating normal physiological functions, as well as pathologic processes. These systems also regulate development, plasticity, regeneration, and immune function in various tissues and organs. As such, there is a direct connection with cancer formation and growth. Moreover, cancer treatment has a bidirectional influence, not only effecting pathologic cells, but also remodeling normal nervous system. It results in tissue and nervous system damage, inculding impaired attention, memory, speed of information processing and multitasking. German and US authors provided an overview on the future directions of cancer neuroscience. It is a rapidly evolving field with exciting discoveries to identify an optimal neuroscience-instructed cancer therapies. Tumor-cell-centric and anti-tumor immunological treatment are the ones that are used nowadays. A new way of targeting the bidirectional neural-cancer system can not only slow tumor growth, but also preserve a quality of life and neurological functioning.