Studies have shown that chemotherapy may affect the way the brain functions, even many years after treatment. Patients who have had chemotherapy and have this cognitive impairment often call this experience “chemo brain” or “chemo-fog.” Some of the brain’s activities that are affected are concentration, memory, comprehension (understanding), and reasoning. The changes that have been found in patients are subtle and may be hard to pin down, but the people who have problems are well aware of the differences in their thinking, even though other people may not notice any changes.
Research has suggested that chemicals (cytokines) produced by the body in response to invasive cancer may be partly responsible for these changes in brain function. There are also other possible factors such as surgical anesthesia, hormone treatment, and medicines that are used to control symptoms. There may be some drugs that are more likely to cause problems than others, but this research is in its early stages.
Researchers are studying the problem to get more information to help prevent and treat cognitive impairment for patients with cancer. If you have problems with thinking that interfere with daily life, there are programs that can help you cope with the decline in memory and problem-solving abilities. Simply being aware that problems with thinking can occur may help patients and their family members feel less isolated and alone. You can learn more about this in our document called Chemo Brain.
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