Chemotherapy Temporarily Affects Brain Function
Reported November 27, 2006
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Cancer patients have often complained of problems with memory and problem solving but doctors were not sure if was related to the illness or treatment. Now, a new study finds chemotherapy may be the culprit. The study reports short-term changes in the cognitive areas of the brain can happen after chemotherapy.
For the study, researchers in Japan used MRI to take high-resolution images of different areas of the brain in women with breast cancer. Some of the women had chemotherapy and others did not. The images were done one year after surgery and then again three years after surgery. They also did images of brains of healthy individuals as well.
Researchers report at the one-year mark, patients treated with chemotherapy had smaller volumes of gray matter and white matter in cognitively sensitive areas. However, study authors say these changes were not seen at the three-year mark. Researchers also say there were no differences when compared to the healthy participants at the three-year mark.
Study authors feel the findings of this study suggest the brain changes are temporary and caused by the chemotherapy rather than the cancer. However, they say there were limitations to their study, so further research is needed.
SOURCE: CANCER, published online Nov. 27, 2006