New Hope For Chemo Brain

Many cancer survivors report suffering from cognitive problems after chemotherapy. But, as sophia auld discovers, new research indicates a common over-the counter drug might be of some help

- Sophia Auld

When Karen Foster was diagnosed with breast cancer at 48, it was a “huge shock”, she says. Karen had chemotherapy and has made a good recovery, but 10 years on is still suffering the after-effects, which impact her memory and concentration.

During chemotherapy, around 70 percent of cancer survivors report difficulties including fuzzy thinking, trouble finding words and difficulty concentrating. For about 30 percent, these issues continue after treatment is finished.

Collectively, these symptoms have been dubbed ‘chemo brain’, because of their supposed association with chemotherapy. But more recently, research has shown that about 30 percent of people with breast or bowel cancer have cognitive impairment before they start treatment.

This has led scientists to question whether the tumour itself may be responsible. New Australian research has supported this idea, and importantly, scientists have also discovered that early use of antiinflammatory medications may be able to prevent memory problems.

THE BRAIN DRAIN

Dr Adam Walker, a researcher at Neuroscience Research Australia, explains that chemo brain was first described by people with cancer. Like so-called ‘baby brain’, some have wondered if it’s a real thing, but objective neuropsychological tests – which quantify the degree of cognitive impairment – show that around 30 to 40 percent of patients have objective cognitive decline, he says.

Furthermore, “you have to bear in mind that the tests we’re using are designed to pick up some quite strong deficits,” he explains. “They’re not really designed to pick up very mild cognitive impairment, which might mean that we’re missing a whole bunch of people who are telling us that they’re having problems, but we can’t actually measure it.”

WHAT CAUSES IT?