‘Chemo brain’ found to be prevalent in cancer patients

Many cancer survivors complain of “chemo brain” – or a mental fog that causes them to forget things and impairs their ability to concentrate long after treatment ends. However, a new study suggests that this may not just be limited to chemotherapy patients.

Analyzing data gathered from 2001 to 2006 by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey on 9,819 adults ages 40 and older, researchers found that individuals with a history of cancer were more than 40 percent more likely to report memory impairment.

Treatments to fight these effects are currently being researched, and include behavioral interventions and medications such as antidepressants.

“These problems may be related to treatment, such as chemotherapy, radiation or hormonal therapy, or to something about the disease itself which can change brain chemistry, or to psychological distress,” said Pascal Jean-Pierre, a professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Some individuals have even begun to question the environmental effects of chemotherapy drugs after they pass through the body unaltered and into the water supply. However, a 2008 study published in the Journal of Hydrology found it unclear what effect low concentrations in water sources would have on flora and fauna.