"Understanding 'Chemo Brain': From Biological Mechanisms to Survivorship Care"

Authors: Urvashi Langeh

Country: India

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Abstract: Deficits in memory, attention, executive function, and processing speed are hallmarks of Chemotherapy-Induced Cognitive Impairment (CICI), sometimes known as "chemo brain," a serious and frequently overlooked side effect of cancer treatment. This multidisciplinary review examines the intricate molecular processes underlying CICI, including neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial failure, and the direct neurotoxicity of chemotherapy drugs. Individual susceptibility to cognitive decline is influenced by both hereditary and epigenetic predispositions.
Clinically, CICI manifests as both objective and subjective symptoms that frequently affect a patient's mental health, everyday functioning, and quality of life. Due to symptom overlap with anxiety, sadness, and exhaustion, accurate diagnosis is still difficult and requires the use of cognitive tests, biomarkers, and neuroimaging. Treatment-related factors (drug kind, dosage, duration), patient characteristics (age, sex, genotype), and psychosocial conditions all affect how severe and long-lasting cognitive symptoms are.
Pharmacological methods, cognitive rehabilitation, lifestyle modifications, and psychosocial assistance are all part of the changing management regimens. Although they need further research, emerging treatments such as immunotherapy, regenerative medicine, and neuroprotective drugs show promise. Certain cancer populations, such as survivors of breast, lung, brain, and pediatric cancer, have different susceptibilities and outcomes, therefore customized strategies are required.
The significance of prevention, early intervention, and individualized survivorship care is also emphasized in this review. There is discussion of ethical and policy issues, emphasizing the necessity of improved patient communication and the incorporation of cognitive support into routine oncology treatment. To enhance therapeutic results and the general wellbeing of cancer survivors impacted by CICI, a patient-centered approach is necessary.

Keywords: Chemotherapy, Cognitive Impairment, Chemo brain, Neuroinflammation, Oxidative stress, Immunotherapy

Paper Id: 232734

Published On: 2025-09-21

Published In: Volume 13, Issue 5, September-October 2025

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