Chemo Brain Is A Side Effect Of Chemotherapy

Today’s oncology treatments are still very aggressive. Although cancer can be cured in many cases, there are side effects from the treatment that are almost never talked about. Some of these side effects are cognitive impairment, low concentration or memory loss. Chemo brain is what this is called, and these side effects are common.

For many years, professions have gathered clinical documentation and studies related to this phenomenon, to register a condition that most people do not know about. When a person survives cancer, they have a new battle ahead of them. They must now cope with what comes after the treatment. These symptoms can be physical and mental.

The well-known symptoms after treatment such as fatigue, weakened immune system, digestive problems, weakness, infections, loss of bone mass and chills now have company. We’re talking about brain deterioration. This is shown in cognitive processes such as attention, problem solving, memory etc.

Chemo brain is mental fog after chemotherapy

We often define cancer as a battle. But for many, it is about a true test of strength and not just about following treatment based on chemotherapy. Cancer treatment can also include surgery, pharmacological treatments, radiation therapy and immunotherapy.

Doctors often tell patients that everyone reacts differently to certain treatments. However, there are some side effects that the majority experience. Chemo brain is one of them. It is an exhausting physical consequence that many patients associate with stress and anxiety about cancer itself.

However, as clinical studies show, the chemo brain is a direct consequence of the treatment itself. It affects about 80% of patients. Let’s look at the data below.

Living with a chemo brain: effects and properties

• Research shows that the cognitive areas most often affected by chemotherapy are visual and verbal memory, attention and psychomotor function.
• We know that every type of cancer gets some treatment. Depending on the patient, the duration and intensity of the treatments vary. However, studies show that virtually all patients undergoing chemotherapy experience cognitive impairment. Thus, as expected, the longer and more intense the treatment, the greater the damage. The effect is cumulative.
  Patients usually experience difficulty remembering dates and appointments, difficulty remembering common words and ending sentences.
• It is also common to have problems with multitasking. Talking on the phone while fetching a glass of water or staying informed while walking can be a problem. Performing this type of activity after chemotherapy is very difficult and frustrating.
• Upon observation, they are also disoriented and slow to respond. After chemotherapy, the world becomes more complex. Patients are more “tuned out” when it comes to responding to common and familiar things.

Chemo Brain: Treatments and How to Reverse It

As mentioned earlier, surviving cancer is a wonderful achievement. It is full of happiness and hope. But when the curtain closes for one stage, it opens for another. In the second stage, self-care is more important than ever. Patients must find natural, psychological and even spiritual approaches that can help reverse the harmful effects of the disease and its treatment.

Keys to optimizing brain function after chemotherapy

The answer to whether it is possible to reverse the negative effects that chemotherapy has on the brain is simple. Yes, it is. However, cognitive rehabilitation requires time, effort and a multifaceted approach.

• Several drugs aimed at reversing the neurological effects of chemotherapy are in the testing phase. But at the moment there is no such medicine on the market that is 100% effective in doing so.
• Herbal treatments such as ginseng and ginko biloba show positive effects in reversing some of the damage.
• Patients are also encouraged to find their own cognitive rehabilitation activities. Today we have several programs and apps on our phones and computers. Some of them train memory and concentration. All of these can be very helpful.
• Professionals also recommend patients to use a calendar to plan activities. They recommend that patients plan small tasks in sequence first, before attempting multitasking. Trying to do more than one thing at a time creates anxiety and low self-esteem if they fail.

• On the other hand, and no less important, they also need adequate support from family and friends. Their support system needs to be close, understanding and most of all, aware of the symptoms associated with the chemo brain.

Finally, each patient should have access to adequate cognitive rehabilitation that is focused on this clinical condition. However, as treatments progress, so will oncological rehabilitation treatments aimed at improving the quality of life for those who have overcome cancer. At least we hope so.