Скачать или смотреть Chemo Brain

The fuzzy thinking and forgetfulness commonly referred to as chemo brain affects many cancer survivors. This video explains what we know about chemo brain, and how to manage it.

Transcription:

[00:00:06] Dr. Susan Love: Hello, I'm Dr. Susan Love, the Chief Visionary Officer of the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation. Our mission is a future without breast cancer and we do that through innovative research into the cause and prevention. The impatient science program is really designed to help you understand what your choices are and what decisions you have to make.

[00:00:28] Speaker 1: A lot of good things come out of today's cancer treatments, but the collateral damage it causes is not one of them. One common problem is the forgetfulness and fuzzy thinking often called chemo brain.

[00:00:40] Speaker 2: Researchers have only recently begun figuring out why people who have chemotherapy experience this brain fog, and in those studies we've seen some unexpected results. It turns out chemo brain may not actually be caused by chemotherapy alone.

[00:00:55] Speaker 1: In one study, researchers measured the brain activity of women before and after they started treatment. They found that for some patients their memory problems were present even before they started therapy.

[00:01:06] Speaker 2: They also found that fatigue, anxiety and stress are common prior to treatment. For some patients it could be that part of chemo brain may actually be PTSD from the cancer.

[00:01:17] Speaker 1: Another group of researchers looked at cytokines, molecules that interact with the immune system. They found that the cytokines around the tumor were different than those found in other parts of the body, and that patients with high levels of certain cytokines performed poorly on brain function tests.

[00:01:33] Speaker 2: Many women go through early menopause as a result of treatment, which also may cause problems with memory and sharpness. It may be that for some women chemo brain is a result of early menopause or an acceleration of age-related memory loss.

[00:01:50] Speaker 1: Menopause can also cause mood disturbances, hot flashes, night sweats and problems sleeping, which also contributes to foggy thinking. What can be done? First, try to get enough sleep, being tired will only make it worse. Eating a healthy diet will also help keep your brain and body working well. In addition, regular exercise can also help you feel less tired and decrease your risk of occurrence. Lastly, try using a daily planner or a to-do list to help you stay focused and on track.

[00:02:20] Speaker 2: Most importantly, don't be afraid to talk about your experience with your work colleagues, family members, and friends. They can be a tremendous source of support.

[00:02:30] Speaker 1: We will keep you informed as soon as we learn more about the ways to prevent and treat collateral damage.

[00:02:37] Dr. Susan: Impatient science is a video series for you, your family and friends to better understand breast cancer and the choices that you have to make. If you want to find out more information or to support the foundation go to drsusanloveresearch.org and help us end breast cancer once and for all.