Chemotherapy and Brain Damage - Is There a Link?

Many chemo patients report mental impairment. Some estimates say as many as 50%. They notice it during and after chemo. The impairment was not present before chemo. Is there a link between chemotherapy and brain damage?

Chemo uses chemicals to kill cancer cells. The body is pumped full of toxins. This would likely cause some cognitive deficits. Mental impairment occurs more often in those treated for cancer involving the reproductive system. Examples are breast and prostate cancers. In these cancers, the chemo levels are very high.

Some call the mental impairment a mental fog. Some call this condition chemofog. The term chemo brain came about in 2004. The term describes the mental fog patients feel during and after chemo treatments.

Researchers have known about chemo brain for over twenty years. Since the 1980's, there are a large number of breast cancer survivors. Many of them have reported symptoms. They started to suspect issues with chemotherapy and brain damage.

They were reporting problems they did not have prior to chemo. Problems with their memory. They were fumbling for words in the middle of sentences. They could not concentrate like before. They could not multi-task any longer. They were having a hard time learning new things. These are typical reports from a chemo brain sufferer. They were feeling half-crippled.

These symptoms lasted for a few weeks to years. Survivors reported different levels of each symptom.

Only recently have there been studies involving chemotherapy and brain damage. The medical profession did not understand the phenomenon. Doctors trivialized the condition for years.

The cause of chemo brain still is not clear. It is not clear how often it happens or what actually triggers it. Some theories are that stress, fatigue and depression causes the effects. Hormone changes, lack of estrogen.

When talking about chemotherapy and brain damage with patients, they have differing views. Some patients have extreme symptoms. Some notice no issues. They are not always sure if they have chemo brain or age-related issues. While other cannot notice a difference before chemo than after chemo.

Medical professionals also have conflicting views on chemotherapy and brain damage.

Some say that the link is real. They point to the large number of documented chemo brain cases. There are also a growing number of studies by researchers. These studies are showing that mental impairment after chemo is real. They are also showing that the impairment can last longer than two years.

In one study, researchers took brain scans of breast cancer survivors. They used chemo patients and patients who survived cancer through surgery. The study showed the brains of chemo patients had to work harder to perform the same tasks.

Others argue the stress of chemo could have an impact on mental function. They also cite reduced levels of estrogen, fatigue, and anxiety. These could all cause chemo brain symptoms. They also point to other medications. Chemo patients often take other drugs to treat chemo side effects.

Another study on chemotherapy and brain damage had a different conclusion. They discovered there might not be a link between chemotherapy and brain damage after all. This study evaluated the cognitive state of women before chemo. Thirty five percent of the women showed some level of mental impairment. Memory was impaired most often.

The conclusion was twofold. First, the cause of chemo brain might be due to factors not considered yet. The second is that any study linking chemotherapy and brain damage must include tests prior to chemo.

The debate about chemotherapy and brain damage will continue.

The bottom line is that the cause of the mental impairment does not matter. What matters is that people are suffering. Chemo brain, cognitive impairment, chemofog, what ever you call it. It has a direct impact on a person's quality of life.

Dr. Henry Mahncke notes how similar chemo brain and age-related mental decay is. Dr. Mahncke is Vice President of Research and Outcomes for Posit Sciences. Posit Sciences develops innovative brain training software. Their software provides brain health and improves cognitive performance.

Brain training is one way to help recover from chemo brain. Thousands have been able to regain their cognitive function due to many different causes. Chemo brain is one of them.