Side Effects of Chemotherapy on Brain

For several years, those people who have been treated with chemotherapy to cure cancer have been worried about and been frustrated by the mental have that seems to settle around their brain. This fog is sometime even noticed before treatment begins. But for the most part, it is during and after the chemo that people notice they are having problems remembering things or they just can’t seem to focus. These symptoms are called “Chemo Brain” and scientists are now looking into what causes it and how can it be cured or prevented.

Studies have been conducted that have proven that some cancer drugs do change parts of the brain. Images have been taken of patient’s brain before and after the chemo, and those images have shown that there is indeed some shrinkage of the entire brain or parts of it. The parts that are affected most are the parts that control memory, planning, putting thoughts into action, monitoring thought processes and behavior, and inhibition.

The name “Chemo Brain” may be a little misleading as some people who suffer from it are not receiving treatment for cancer. Some of these people are on hormonal treatments or have not yet begun their treatment for cancer. The symptoms of “Chemo Brain” do dissipate over time, but the symptoms are real and can be very distressing to the patient as they suffer from the mental changes they are experiencing.

“Chemo Brain” is defined as a “mild cognitive impairment” and is defined as being unable to remember certain things, having trouble finishing tasks or learning new skills. “Chemo Brain” is the combination of one or more of thefollowing symptoms. People who have suffered from “Chemo Brain” have complained of:

• Memory lapses, forgetting everyday things and things they usually have no
  trouble remembering.
• Finding it hard to focus or concentrate on one thing at a time.
• Trouble remembering names, dates, and import events.
• They find it hard to do more than one thing at a time; their ability to multi task
  is gone. Even the simplest task like cooking and answering the phone. They
  report that they forget about one of the tasks when they do the other.
• Tasks take a lot longer to finish than they used to. Slower thinking process.
• Trouble conversing because they can’t remember or find the proper words to
  use in a sentence.

The amount of time “Chemo Brain” affects a person varies greatly as well. Some people only have it for a short time while others can have it for a while. It is also common that a patient will hardly notice these symptoms but they will be aware of a change in their thinking and mental abilities.

A common problem that does occur is that patients do not tell their doctors about these changes. If you experience any of these symptoms, it is important to let your health care team know so they can try and solve the problems you may be having.