Dr. Wong on Easing the Symptoms of Chemobrain

Serena Wong, MD, medical oncologist, Stacy Goldstein Breast Cancer Center, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, discusses ways to ease the symptoms of chemobrain.

Because researchers don’t know the cause of chemobrain, they don’t know how to prevent it, Wong says.

Patients that experience chemobrain can try writing things down to help them remember. Wong says staying active both physically and mentally can also be helpful. Patients experiencing chemobrain should also make sure to develop good sleeping habits and eliminate stress as much as possible.

Wong says it is important for physicians and nurses to remember that there can be other causes of cognitive dysfunction. Depression and anxiety, which are very prevalent in the cancer population, can also cause cognitive dysfunction. Fatigue, anemia and some supportive medications can also lead to cognitive impairment.