Chemobrain - A Troubling Side Effect of Chemotherapy

The first mention of the term chemobrain appeared in the literature in response to a steady flow of clinical reports and research articles on neurological dysfunctions and so called “foggy brain” in chemotherapy treated cancer patients [1,2]. “Foggy brain” more precisely known as a cognitive impairment of the brain is a phenomenon with a long history in psychiatry and neurology, however its presence in cancer patients has not been reported until relatively recently. Cognitive impairment as a result of chemotherapy was first mentioned in the 70s but it was not until late 80s when it was clearly recognized. Over years more and more reports were providing solid evidence for a chemotherapy associated cognitive impairment in cancer patients [3,4]. Patients treated with chemotherapeutics were often complaining of visual memory lapses (impaired or delayed recognition of objects, pictures, shapes), verbal difficulties (difficulties with recalling names, concepts, definitions etc) and inability to focus on complex and multi-step tasks. The severity of the symptoms depends on the patient, ranging from mild, almost unnoticeable changes in brain function to severe, highly symptomatic neurological dysfunctions impairing patients’ life [5,6].