Living with Cognitive Dysfunction

My mother in law was recently diagnosed with cancer and after going through several rounds of chemotherapy and surgery to remove half her lung, we began to notice that she was forgetting important details of her day to day life. She couldn't remember the names of family members or would forget important facts that she should have known, had known all her life. But now for some reason couldn't remember any longer. We began to worry about her. To wonder if maybe the cancer had spread to her brain, something we were all terrified would happen. But after talking things over with her doctor, discussing her behavior and the medications she was taking, he told us about a condition called Cognitive Dysfunction. C.D. is common among people who are being treated for cancer. It makes them feel as if they can't think clearly and they forget important details like names, dates and phone numbers. They also report forgetting things that have happened over the course of the day. Which had become a big problem for my mom, she couldn't remember if she had taken her medication for that day and would oftentimes forget the names of her grandchildren. She would often talk off the top of her head and not make any sense. Patients have described this feeling as much like being in a mental fog. These symptoms are normal in patients who are undergoing chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer.

This condition has commonly become known as 'chemo brain' because it is a side effect of chemotherapy. There has been numerous research done on c.d. and it has been shown that this is a very real condition caused by the chemotherapy treatment. The problems caused by c.d. are usually subtle but can be worrisome and frustrating for the patient as well as their family members. Cognitive Dysfunction has been most closely related to chemotherapy treatment, people who receive immunotherapy treatment, radiation therapy or take opioid medications for pain can also experience some of the effects of c.d. Cognitive Dysfunction is caused when healthy cells are damaged by the chemotherapy treatment. Studies have shown that parts of the brain that deal with memory are smaller after chemotherapy treatments. Chemo can also cause anemia and fatigue which can also result in some of the same symptoms as c.d. These symptoms can often occur during treatment but also have been known to occur months or even years after treatment is over. Don't be afraid to mention these symptoms to your doctor. They can suggest some simple exercises that will help you manage your symptoms, cope with the changes and manage your mental processing. If the cognitive dysfunction gets worse many months after treatment, there are other options. There is a drug that is commonly used to treat Alzheimer's patients. One that your physician may consider using. Some physicians have even been known to prescribe Ritalin, which can help with the symptoms. There are also classes in cognitive rehabilitation that you may consider taking if the symptoms of your illness gets worse over time and shows no signs of improvement. Cognitive dysfunction is a real problem associated with chemotherapy and other treatment methods for cancer. Don't be afraid to mention any signs or symptoms to your primary care physician so they can help you in choosing a course of treatment. Don't be like my family member and deny there's a problem even though those you love can very clearly see the evidence. For additional information on cognitive dysfunction you can visit www.cancercare.com which has a 4 part series on coping with chemo brain. For more information on cancer and the conditions associated with chemotherapy treatments visit www.cancersociety.org.