Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesChemo Brain vs. DementiaManagementSupporting Brain Health
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Chemo Brain vs. Dementia
Management
Supporting Brain Health
Many people going through treatment for cancer may experience what’s commonly referred to as “chemo brain.” This has been described as mental fogginess or forgetfulness in some people. You don’t have to have chemotherapy to have chemo brain—people living with cancer and undergoing other treatments can also experience it.
Read on to learn more about chemo brain, the factors associated with it, and how to manage symptoms.
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Describing Chemo Brain Symptoms
Symptoms of chemo brain are often likened to “brain fog”—a temporary state of diminished mental capacity, including problems with memory and thinking—but it can be different for each person.
Up to 75% of people report symptoms of chemo brain during treatment, with 35% still reporting symptoms after treatment.For most people these symptoms are not a sign of any other cognitive condition.
Sensation and Intensity
Sensations of chemo brain can include:
Symptom Onset
Chemo brain can start during or after treatment. The cognitive impairment can vary widely among people, depending on what kind ofchemotherapywas used, the kind of cancer being treated, and whether radiation to the brain also was involved.
Symptom Duration
The duration of chemo brain varies greatly. In some people, it goes away after treatment is over; in others, it persists and gets worse.This can depend on the specific chemotherapy given, the cumulative dosage given and how it was administered, whether any brain lesions are present, and any other drug exposure.
Why Exactly Does Chemo Affect the Brain?
Initially, researchers looked at the chemo brain/cognitive impairment in cancer issue purely from a pharmacotoxicology point of view; that is, looking at it solely from how toxic the chemotherapy agent was to the brain and its subsequent effects on cognitive functioning.
However, lately, that has shifted to looking at how a variety of cancer treatments impacts cognition, as well as a variety of other factors that can increase the risk of chemo brain and cognitive impairment. These factors can include:
All of these things can have an impact on the brain and cognition.
Cancer can also impact cognition even without chemotherapy. Cognitive changes like trouble with memory, attention, and multitasking can occur during treatment because of things like malaise (generally feeling unwell), sleep disturbances, nausea, stress and anxiety, use of steroids or sedatives, and anemia.
Long-Term Impact
Even minor cognitive impairment has been shown to significantly impact quality of life and self-image.
People have reported feeling a loss of identity, reduced confidence about going back to work, and increased social isolation because of their trouble remembering things, ability to focus, and reduced cognitive functioning. Social interactions may become overwhelming or cause anxiety for some because of fears regarding their reduced cognitive functioning.
The impacts of chemo brain can be long term in some people, and this can vary depending on what caused the cognitive impairment, the person’s age, their overall health, and any other health-related factors. Other treatment modalities like radiation or surgery might have also impacted the brain or nervous system, contributing to the cognitive impairment.
More research is needed to determine the definitive underlying causes, but it is likely a combination of factors.
Chemo Brain vs. Dementia: Related or Unrelated?
That being said, some research has found an association between cancer and dementia, while other studies have found the opposite.These discrepancies point to a need for more research on the matter.
How to Manage Chemo Brain
Tell your treatment team and healthcare providers if you’re experiencing symptoms of chemo brain, or anything out of the ordinary. Sometimes changes are needed to medications. In addition, there are other ways to manage the effects of chemo brain, including:
Supporting Brain Health During or After Cancer Treatment
While there is no specific treatment for chemo brain, there are some things you can do to support and encourage brain health, both during and after treatment. These include:
Talk with your treatment team about your options for therapies and rehabilitation that may help focus, memory, and thinking. Before starting any exercise routine, check with your healthcare providers to make sure it’s safe to do so.
Summary
Chemo brain affects most people going through cancer treatment. Though it can significantly impact life, the good news is that, in most cases, it tends to be temporary and improves once treatment is over. However, for some people, the symptoms can linger for years. While there is no cure for chemo brain, there are many ways to manage the symptoms and help minimize their impact on day-to-day life.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Henderson FME, Cross AJ, Baraniak AR.‘A new normal with chemo brain’: experiences of the impact of chemotherapy-related cognitive deficits in long-term breast cancer survivors.Health Psychol Open. 2019;6(1). doi:10.1177/2055102919832234American Cancer Society.Changes in memory, thinking, and focus (chemo brain).Mounier NM, Abdel-Maged AE-S, Wahdan SA, Gad AM, Azab SS.Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI): an overview of etiology and pathogenesis.Life Sciences. 2020;258. doi:10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118071Ahles TA and Root JC.Cognitive effects of cancer and cancer treatments.Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2018;14:425-451. doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050817-084903Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.Tips for managing chemo brain.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Dementias.Kao Y-S, Yeh C-C, Chen Y-F.The relationship between cancer and dementia: An updated review.Cancers.2023;15(3):640. doi:10.3390/cancers15030640Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.Managing cognitive changes.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Henderson FME, Cross AJ, Baraniak AR.‘A new normal with chemo brain’: experiences of the impact of chemotherapy-related cognitive deficits in long-term breast cancer survivors.Health Psychol Open. 2019;6(1). doi:10.1177/2055102919832234American Cancer Society.Changes in memory, thinking, and focus (chemo brain).Mounier NM, Abdel-Maged AE-S, Wahdan SA, Gad AM, Azab SS.Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI): an overview of etiology and pathogenesis.Life Sciences. 2020;258. doi:10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118071Ahles TA and Root JC.Cognitive effects of cancer and cancer treatments.Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2018;14:425-451. doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050817-084903Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.Tips for managing chemo brain.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Dementias.Kao Y-S, Yeh C-C, Chen Y-F.The relationship between cancer and dementia: An updated review.Cancers.2023;15(3):640. doi:10.3390/cancers15030640Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.Managing cognitive changes.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Henderson FME, Cross AJ, Baraniak AR.‘A new normal with chemo brain’: experiences of the impact of chemotherapy-related cognitive deficits in long-term breast cancer survivors.Health Psychol Open. 2019;6(1). doi:10.1177/2055102919832234American Cancer Society.Changes in memory, thinking, and focus (chemo brain).Mounier NM, Abdel-Maged AE-S, Wahdan SA, Gad AM, Azab SS.Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI): an overview of etiology and pathogenesis.Life Sciences. 2020;258. doi:10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118071Ahles TA and Root JC.Cognitive effects of cancer and cancer treatments.Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2018;14:425-451. doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050817-084903Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.Tips for managing chemo brain.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Dementias.Kao Y-S, Yeh C-C, Chen Y-F.The relationship between cancer and dementia: An updated review.Cancers.2023;15(3):640. doi:10.3390/cancers15030640Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.Managing cognitive changes.
Henderson FME, Cross AJ, Baraniak AR.‘A new normal with chemo brain’: experiences of the impact of chemotherapy-related cognitive deficits in long-term breast cancer survivors.Health Psychol Open. 2019;6(1). doi:10.1177/2055102919832234
American Cancer Society.Changes in memory, thinking, and focus (chemo brain).
Mounier NM, Abdel-Maged AE-S, Wahdan SA, Gad AM, Azab SS.Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI): an overview of etiology and pathogenesis.Life Sciences. 2020;258. doi:10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118071
Ahles TA and Root JC.Cognitive effects of cancer and cancer treatments.Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2018;14:425-451. doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050817-084903
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.Tips for managing chemo brain.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Dementias.
Kao Y-S, Yeh C-C, Chen Y-F.The relationship between cancer and dementia: An updated review.Cancers.2023;15(3):640. doi:10.3390/cancers15030640
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.Managing cognitive changes.
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