Review article
https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2021.62.376
The vicious interplay between disrupted sleep and malignant brain tumors: a narrative review
Darko Orešković
orcid.org/0000-0003-3018-5248
; Department of Neurosurgery, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Anđelo Kaštelančić
; Department of Neurosurgery, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Marina Raguž
; Department of Neurosurgery, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Domagoj Dlaka
; Department of Neurosurgery, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Nina Predrijevac
; Department of Neurosurgery, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Dinko Matec
; Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Martina Matec
; Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia
Damir Tomac
; Department of Neurosurgery, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Vjekoslav Jeleč
; Department of Neurosurgery, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Tonko Marinović
; Department of Neurosurgery, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Darko Chudy
; Department of Neurosurgery, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Malignant brain tumors are among the most aggressive
human neoplasms. One of the most common and severe symptoms that patients with these malignancies experience is sleep disruption. Disrupted sleep is known to
have significant systemic pro-tumor effects, both in patients with other types of cancer and those with malignant
brain lesions. We therefore provide a review of the current
knowledge on disrupted sleep in malignant diseases, with
an emphasis on malignant brain tumors. More specifically,
we review the known ways in which disrupted sleep enables further malignant progression. In the second part of
the article, we also provide a theoretical framework of the
reverse process. Namely, we argue that due to the several possible pathophysiological mechanisms, patients with
malignant brain tumors are especially susceptible to their
sleep being disrupted and compromised. Thus, we further
argue that addressing the issue of disrupted sleep in patients with malignant brain tumors can, not just improve
their quality of life, but also have at least some potential
of actively suppressing the devastating disease, especially when other treatment modalities have been exhausted.
Future research is therefore desperately needed.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
278450
URI
Publication date:
26.8.2021.
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