Chemotherapy is well known as a life-saving treatment that comes at great cost to individual wellbeing. Cancer sufferers will usually have no choice but to accept this treatment and all its side effects, in order to fight their cancer. The physical side effects of chemotherapy are well documented, but some of us may be less aware of its effects on the mind. Doctors have long been aware of a mild cognitive impairment that commonly arises with chemotherapy; however, this side effect is in need of more substantiation.
So far, the mental fog experienced by chemotherapy patients has been something informally referred to as ‘chemo brain’. Patients commonly experience memory loss and many report difficulty in concentrating while undergoing chemotherapy. Researchers have been undecided whether this is a direct result of the physiological changes enacted by chemotherapy, or an effect of the trauma of the entire cancer experience. A small study recently conducted in the USA sheds more light on this issue.
Researchers used the imaging techniques of positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) in order to make a close study of the brain’s responses to chemotherapy. 128 patients undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer took part in the brain imaging process, which paid close attention to changes in the brain’s metabolism. Results showed that certain areas of the brain, such as those responsible for organizational skills, used less energy after chemotherapy treatment. Results show a correlation between chemotherapy and brain function that researchers call ‘significant’ at minimum; some even claim it is ‘obvious’.
The results of this study represent a great stride towards a full understanding of ‘chemo brain’. The theory that this mental impairment is an effect of trauma is now far less believable and this will help cancer researchers find superior hypotheses and therefore better supportive treatments to chemotherapy. Getting a handle on the exact causes of chemotherapy’s side effects is excellent news for patient wellness the world over.
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