Cancer Related Cognitive Dysfunction- "Cancer Brain"

“Cancer brain” is something I am very familiar with. As a counselor of a week-long cancer camp, I often heard the apology “sorry, chemo brain”. “Chemo brain” or cancer related cognitive dysfunction is a real thing that does not get the attention that it deserves. It is not very well studied, but it has been determined that 75% of breast cancer patients/survivors have experienced this dysfunction. This can affect an individual’s short-term memory or ability to focus or even ability to process the environment or what is communicated to him/her. Because of these impairments, “chemo brain” can affect an individual’s social skills if they feel embarrassed when they don’t remember someone’s name or if they get overwhelmed in a busy environment. This can affect an individual for just the duration of their treatment, or it can last for decades after treatment. However, it is very rarely brought up as a long-term side effect by doctors, so there is a call to educate the patients on this possible impairment, so they can expect it and know how to deal with it.

There are not many tools or assessments to diagnose cancer related cognitive dysfunction. The tools that are out there consist of self-assessments and therapist-assessments. There are also few treatment options with some working more effectively than others. The least effective treatments are typically only address the cognitive dysfunction. This type of therapy can be addressed with computer games designed to work on focus skills, but these do not improve functional performance or self-perceived performance. However, it does provide statistical evidence that the client’s attention span has improved. The more effective options include assistive technology designed for memory loss or stress reduction. This may include planners or personal devices to improve memory deficits. Occupational therapists can have a large role for improvement regarding cancer related cognitive dysfunction. Often time, clients may not even realize that they are experiencing this dysfunction and the OT may be able to diagnose the client while working with him/her on something else, such as lymphedema for breast cancer patients. OTs can help their client develop organizational skills, set a daily routine, plan ahead, eliminate boundaries or change the environment to maximize performance, stress reduction, or arrange their daily schedule to arrange the more difficult activities during maximal cognitive function during the day.