Cancer treatment side effect: Chemobrain

In the late 1990s, doctors began to pay attention to chemobrain, a term used by an increasing number of patients to describe mental symptoms and side effects. Chemobrain, can also be called chemo fog, is a term used by patients to describe changes in their thinking, or cognitive function. Depending on the person, “chemobrain” may refer to forgetfulness, slower thinking, difficulty concentrating or periods of mental confusion or “fogginess.” It’s difficult to pinpoint an exact definition, but it generally describes a feeling that “my brain is not working quite the same as it was before cancer.” 

There are two distinct groups of cancer patients suffering from chemobrain. In the first, patients with brain tumors can have changes in cognitive function due to the location of their brain tumor and treatments that directly affect brain tissue. However, chemobrain is often used to refer to cognitive changes experienced by patients in the other group: those without cancer in the brain. While the term chemobrain seems to directly blame the problem on chemotherapy, it has been actually found that cognitive problems can appear before any treatment begins. Even if cancer is not growing in the brain, it can still disrupt systems in the body that end up affecting mental function. Some treatment, including certain forms of chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and immunotherapy, can also cause cognitive dysfunction, meaning they can directly or indirectly disrupt, damage or alter normal brain function. Chemo brain seems to happen more often with high doses of chemo, and is more likely if the brain is also treated with radiation.

It's not clear what causes signs and symptoms of memory problems in cancer survivors. Cancer-related causes of chemobrain could include:

• A cancer diagnosis can be quite stressful in itself and this can cause memory problems



• Certain cancers can produce chemicals that affect memory

The chemobrain workout should rule out (or may reveal) other diagnoses, such as dementia, anxiety, depression or fatigue, all of which can also affect mental function.

For many patients, the symptoms of chemobrain improve over time, though they may not go away completely. Some people may continue to experience chemobrain symptoms long after they’ve completed their cancer treatment. Some cancer survivors may return to work, but find tasks take extra concentration or time. Others will be unable to return to work.

Stimulants or brain training may help some patients. Cognitive strategies or healthy lifestyle changes, like improved sleep quality and exercise, can also help. Because symptoms and personal priorities vary from person to person, the treatment plans needs to be personalized.

Still is a need to know more about cause or patients at risk for chemobrain. Therefore, the scientific medical community has initiated the clinical research in that field following cancer patients over several years to understand it and bring better treatment or preventive options for survival cancer patients in the future.