Chemobrain, A Side Effect Of Chemotherapy
Oncological treatments are still very aggressive today. Thus, and although it is often possible to overcome the disease, it undoubtedly results in important sequelae that we do not always talk about. Some of these are cognitive deterioration, poor concentration or memory loss. These are the side effects associated with chemotherapy, known as chemobrain .
The clinical documentation and studies related to this phenomenon have in recent years shown a little-known reality. A cancer survivor faces a new battle. Where she must face a vast amalgam of complex sequelae. Both physical and psychological.
A dimension is added to those already known such as exhaustion, weak defenses, digestive problems, infections, bone loss, the feeling of cold… We are talking about the deterioration of the brain. Including cognitive processes such as attention, problem solving, working memory, etc.
Chemobrain , mental fog as an effect of chemotherapy
We often define cancer as a battle. For many people, however, it is a genuine stress test. Indeed, it is not only a question of following this treatment based on chemotherapy. Cancer requires surgery. Which are often combined with different treatments such as pharmacology, radiotherapy, immunotherapy …
So, although professional oncologists often warn patients that each person experiences and reacts to treatment in a particular way, the same effects always appear. The chemobrain is one of them. This is as exhausting a reality as the physical sequelae can be and one that many patients often associate with the stress or anxiety of the disease itself.
However, clinical studies show that chemobrain is a direct sequel to the treatment itself. A side effect that affects around 80% of patients. Let’s look at more concrete data below.
Living with chemobrain : effects and characteristics
- Research shows that the cognitive areas most often affected by chemotherapy are visual and verbal memory, attention, and psychomotor functioning.
- We know that each type of cancer has a specific treatment. There are treatments of longer duration and others of less intensity, always adapted to the particularities of each patient. It has been proven that virtually all patients who have undergone chemotherapy experience this cognitive wear and tear. The aftereffects will be all the more important as the treatments will be longer and more intense. The effect is cumulative.
- Patients generally have problems remembering dates, pending appointments, problems remembering common words and finishing a sentence …
- It is therefore common for them to experience problems multitasking. For example, talking on the phone and having a glass of water or orienting yourself while walking… These are activities that are done with great difficulty (and frustration) after chemotherapy.
- Patients also perceive themselves as more disorganized and slower to respond… The world becomes more complex after chemotherapy. Patients are more “turned off” when it comes to reacting to things so common and familiar.
Chemobrain : treatments and strategies to reverse its effect
We said it in the introduction. Surviving cancer is a feat, happiness and hope. A new stage opens, however, just after this victory. A stage oriented towards the reinterpretation of ourselves. Taking care of ourselves is more important here than ever. This is a stage where we should seek out those clinical, natural, psychological and even spiritual approaches that can help us reverse the psychological and emotional effects of the disease and the treatment itself.
The keys to optimizing brain function after chemotherapy treatment
It is indeed possible to reverse the sequelae that chemotherapy generates in the brain. This cognitive rehabilitation, however, requires time, effort and a multidisciplinary approach.
- Different drugs to reverse the effect of chemotherapy at the neurological level are currently being tested. However, there are no components on the market that are key and 100% effective drugs.
- We know, for example, that ginseng and ginkgo biloba therapies are positive.
- These patients are also recommended to organize their own cognitive rehabilitation. We currently have several applications and programs on our phones and computers aimed at exercising our memory and concentration. All of them are very helpful.
- It is also advisable to make use of agendas. Where to structure time and activities. The patient should understand that it will always be best to do things sequentially. Gradually. Rather than performing various tasks. The accumulation of activities intensifies anxiety and low self-efficacy.
- Importantly, the patient requires adequate family and social support. The entourage must be close and understandable. He should be aware of the effects associated with chemobrain .
To conclude. The most recommended, the most logical and the most desirable is that every patient should have access to cognitive rehabilitation. Adapted to this clinical condition. However, as treatments progress, oncology rehabilitation therapy itself will aim to ensure quality of life for those who have overcome cancer. Hopefully it will be so.
Our thoughts Every year, children under 15 with cancer are diagnosed. Medical progress gives them a longer lifespan …
