WEDNESDAY, Nov. 28, 2012 — Can't remember the chemo? Well, that may be due to the chemo. According to new research from the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), undergoing chemotherapy is in fact physiologically responsible for such side effects as memory loss and lack of concentration among cancer patients, commonly referred to as "chemo brain".
Researchers have isolated proof that chemo brain exists, an anomaly that until recently has proven problematic to biologically define. Utilizing both computer and positron emission tomography (PET/CT), they surveyed the after-effect chemotherapy has on actual brain function and brain metabolism, unlike past studies that unsuccessfully used MRI to focus solely on the brain's appearance and volume to understand chemo brain.
"When we looked at the results, we were surprised at how obvious the changes were," says Rachel A. Lagos, D.O., diagnostic radiology resident at the West Virginia University School of Medicine and West Virginia University Hospitals, in a press release. "Chemo brain phenomenon is more than a feeling. It is not depression. It is a change in brain function observable on PET/CT brain imaging."
Doctors coupled brain imaging analyses of 128 breast cancer patients who participated in chemotherapy with software that measured brain metabolism before and after treatment. Additionally, they accounted for patient history, neurological examinations, and chemotherapy routines. Results revealed that brain metabolism declined in areas of the brain associated with chemo brain symptoms, like mental fog and loss of coping skills.
"The study shows that there are specific areas of the brain that use less energy following chemotherapy," adds Dr. Lagos. "These brain areas are the ones known to be responsible for planning and prioritizing."
Though the extent of chemo brain varies from person to person — or may not even occur at all — current research suggests that nutrition, exercise, counsel, and massage are all vital ingredients for management and prevention.
However, Lagos hopes that PET/CT will further pave the way for advancements in diagnosis and intervention: "The next step is to establish a prospective study that begins assessing new patients at the time of cancer diagnosis. The prospective study has the potential to establish an understanding of the change in brain neurotransmitters during chemotherapy, which may lead to improved treatment or prevention."