Cognitive Dysfunction From Cancer Treatment

Cognitive dysfunction from cancer treatment is one side effect of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is used to fight cancer and involves injecting or ingesting drugs to kill cancer cells. It is a systemic treatment because the medicine travels through the entire body in the blood stream. Chemotherapy is used by many people to fight cancer but it does have side effects.

Cognitive dysfunction from chemotherapy

About 30 percent of people experience some level of cognitive impairment. This term is used to describe the phenomenon that happens to chemotherapy patients, mostly those who have breast cancer, where there is a change in memory, fluency and other forms of cognitive impairment.

Symptoms of cognitive dysfunction

Symptoms of cognitive dysfunction include short term memory loss and learning new things can take longer. Patients who have experienced cognitive dysfunction often mention that it takes them longer to comprehend something. The ability to multitask is impaired. The effects of cognitive dysfunction are said to go away after the cancer is treated, but some people have experienced these symptoms up to 10 years after treatment.

Treatment

Some potential treatment options include cognitive behavior therapy, stimulant drugs and using antioxidants. Some other options to cope with the effects of cognitive dysfunction include changes in one's behavior. Exercise to stay alert. Also, take notes and develop a routine. Taking notes helps you record when you are having difficulty and the type of difficulty to keep track of patterns. Develop a routine to make daily tasks more predictable and harder to forget.

Cognitive dysfunction is a side effect of chemotherapy. It affects 30 percent of chemotherapy patients and disrupts their lives. This condition is usually temporary and ends when chemotherapy is completed.