Chemotherapy, though an effective cancer treatment method, comes with a number of difficult side effects. Fatigue, nausea, vomiting, hair loss, loss of appetite and damage to the nerves are only a few of the significant side effects of chemotherapy. These medications can also affect the brain and cognitive function, and cause a side effect commonly referred to as "chemo brain."
Cognitive Function
Chemotherapy has a number of effects on the brain, and can affect cognitive function. People undergoing chemotherapy may feel mentally sluggish, and have trouble doing more than one simple activity at a time, says the American Cancer Society. Difficulty concentrating and focusing on tasks at hand may also result, as well as slowed thinking, understanding and responding to others.
Memory
Forgetfulness is another common side effect of chemotherapy that affects the brain. People undergoing chemotherapy may forget names, important events and dates. Significant lapses in memory are also common, says the ACS, like forgetting recent events or conversations. Chemotherapy can also make it difficult to communicate clearly and think of everyday words and phrases--struggling to think of words and speak in complete sentences may be difficult.
Chemo Brain
These effects are legitimate and not imagined--the ACS says that imaging scans of the brain show altered brain activity in patients undergoing chemotherapy in relation to those who didn't receive it. Though the cause of "chemo brain" is unknown, the good news is that brain effects typically subside over time--they are not generally permanent.
