MBC treatment aims to extend life but also comes with side effects that can impact quality of life. There are ways to manage the different types of side effects so that you can live the best life possible.
This month, we continue our series about the different kinds of side effects and advice from experts about how they can be managed. This month, we focus on problems with thinking, planning, remembering, and concentrating, which are called brain fog, chemo brain, or cognitive problems. Some kinds of chemotherapy and other types of treatments can cause these problems.
Side effect management is an active area of study in clinical trials. Enrolling in a clinical trial that is studying better ways to prevent or reduce side effects may help you have a higher quality of life and may help people in the future.
Visit the links below to read expert suggestions of ways to improve cognitive problems and for clinical trials that are studying ways to manage these side effects.
Ways to Manage Brain Fog and Cognitive Problems
- Breastcancer.org: Dr. Timothy Ahles and Dr. Michele Janelsins explain what chemo brain is and suggest ways to manage it
- SHARE Cancer Support (video): Dr. Tracy Vannorsdall explains what chemo brain is and provides tips to improve cognitive function (tips begin at 37:25)
- University of Reading: Dr. Bethany Chapman led a study that showed that women with breast cancer who had received chemotherapy and who trained their brain using a task performed with a computer had long-lasting improvement in cognitive abilities
MBC Clinical Trials
- Metastatic Trial Search: Trials for Brain Fog and Cognitive Problems
- Metastatic Trial Search: Trials for Managing Side Effects
Last Modified on April 1, 2025