During cancer treatment involving chemotherapy, a condition can arise that is called “Chemo Brain”. This condition causes the patient to have certain symptoms that may affect his or her memory, ability to work, and or concentration problems.
These symptoms do not affect all chemo patients, and the symptoms vary from those patients it does affect.
Some patients may be able to return to work and do their jobs effectively, while other patients may be so affected that they will not be able to return to work. If you find you are suffering from any of these symptoms during your chemo treatment, tell your doctor as they may be able to rectify the problems or refer you to an occupational therapist that will be able to alter your current job description or refer you to a different role that suits your abilities.
There are cases, although rare, that patients have such sever memory and concentration issues that they are simply unable to work. In these cases, it is advisable for those patients to apply for disability benefits until the symptoms go away. You heath care team and oncology social worker or other health care professional will give you all of your options and walk you through the needed process.
It is not fully understood what causes “Chemo Brain” in cancer patients or exactly which treatments cause it. There are several treatments for cancer and they include: Chemotherapy, Hormone therapy, Immunotherapy, Radiation therapy, Surgery, and others.
As is well known, there are several side-effects to cancer treatment that a patient should be aware of. These side effects include: Anemia, Fatigue, Infection, Menopause, Nutritional deficiencies, Sleep problems, such as insomnia, Emotional reactions to cancer diagnosis and treatment, Anxiety, Depression, and Other causes.
Some other complications of cancer treatment are inherited and can cause greater susceptibility to “Chemo Brain” and medications that either do not help the patient or affect the patient adversely.
If you are receiving treatment and feel that you are suffering from any of the following symptoms, consult your doctor for help. Some signs of “Chemo Brain” include:
Being unusually disorganized,
- Confusion
- Difficulty concentrating
- Difficulty finding the right word
- Difficulty learning new skills
- Difficulty multitasking
- Fatigue
- Feeling of mental fogginess
- Short attention span
- Short-term memory problems
- Taking longer than usual to complete routine tasks
- Trouble with verbal memory, such as remembering a conversation
- Trouble with visual memory, such as recalling an image or list of words
Signs and symptoms of cognitive or memory problems vary from person to person and are typically temporary, often subsiding within two years of completion of cancer treatment.
If you are receiving any treatment for cancer and think you may be suffering from any one of these symptoms it is very important to consult your doctor or health care professional. They will be able to help you with these symptoms and may, in some cases, be able to alleviate or cure them all together with different drug combinations or by varying your treatment.