Annie Sicard is a breast cancer survivor and a patient advocate. She works closely with cancer patients to support them with after cancer care, such as how to improve cognitive disorders such as chemobrain, chemo fog and brain fog.
What are cognitive disorders?
Cancer treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, oral chemotherapy, and hormonal therapy have been an important part of extending survival in patients diagnosed with breast cancer. 20 to 50% of patients treated for breast cancer express a cognitive complaint. Oncology treatments can lead to cognitive disorders such as brain fog (chemobrain) in some patients.
There are a multitude of causes of brain fog. They would be due to the cancer itself, to the impact of the announcement of the disease, to anxiety and fatigue, but also to the neurotoxic action of the chemotherapy, to oxidative stress (which attacks the cells), and to hormonal or immune disorders.
The cognitive difficulties encountered by patients have a negative impact on their quality of life, memory, attention, and concentration. These disorders can have an impact when returning to work. In elderly patients, cognitive disorders have repercussions on their autonomy, such as compliance with oral chemotherapy treatments at home.
Signs and symptoms
Confusion
Difficulty concentrating
Memory loss
Difficulty in performing routine tasks
Search for words
Risk Factors
Cancer itself
Radiation therapy of the brain
High doses of chemotherapy or radiotherapy
Hormone therapy
Tiredness
Lack of sleep
Stress, anxiety
Nutritional deficiencies
How to reduce the symptoms?
Regular physical activity decreases fatigue and improves mood and alertness
Brain exercise: memory games, learning new languages
Cognitive rehabilitation workshops
Relaxation, mindfulness, sophrology, yoga
Make “to do” lists
Get enough rest and sleep
Focus on one thing at a time
Will the symptoms of chemobrain ever go away?
Symptoms improve within 9 to 12 months after the end of chemotherapy. A smaller proportion (about 10-20%) may experience long-term effects.
