Turns Out “Chemo Brain” IS for Real

“Chemo brain” — that foggy feeling many patients with cancer describe seems to be related to a variety of factors, not necessarily only to chemotherapy, according to physicians and researchers that contributed to an article for Healio’s HemOncToday. Those factors include inflammation associated with cancer itself, treatment-induced anemia, stem cell transplant side effects or a patient’s genetics. A patient’s cognitive impairment may take the form of lack of focus, issues with verbal or visual memory, shortened attention span and difficulty multitasking.

Research is underway to identify effective treatments for cancer-related cognitive impairment. However, since the causes of “chemo brain” vary in form and intensity for individual patients, treatments for it will likely need to be tailored to the individual patient. Arash Asher, MD, director of cancer rehabilitation and survivorship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center told HemOncToday “There are many different factors that may contribute to cognitive changes in the cancer setting, and so I don’t think there is going to be a singular mechanism for everyone. There is a need to look at this broadly, to see what factors are playing a role for each person, and to target interventions to that person.”

Just as a cancer treatment plan is tailored to individual patients, so are the therapies used to address the side effects of that treatment. When physicians craft personalized treatment plans that are guided by their medical expertise and knowledge of a patient’s unique medical history, patients win. Patients and Providers United tirelessly advocates for these principles. Join our efforts.