brain MRI changes associated with "chemobrain"

[Lani]

http://www.health.wvu.edu/newsreleas...ail.asp?ID=840

[Alice]

Hi Lani,

I just have a question about this study. Does this pertain only to those people whose chemo was the type that crosses the blood brain barrier? When I was going through chemo my onc said that chemo brain was due to the lack of oxygen from anemia. I too am affected by the lack of processing speed and memory loss. Before chemo I was in charge of a very buisy office and now I feel as though I can not multi task and it is very frustrating and making my job difficult. I used to like the fast pace and doing a good job supervising and now I feel overwhelmed.
Alice

[Lani]

is the important role of estrogen in the brain. A recent Wall Street Journal article discussed physicians prescribing estrogen for those with difficulty with recall, finding words, slow mentation etc with good results.

Obviously that would not seem to be an option for those with bc (at least not ER+ and probably better not at all as even if ER- ER status changes can occur)--but it may relate to the fact that chemo throws most into premature menopause.

It may be a combination of many things and we may not have Identified all the culprits yet.

From what I have read, brain damage from lack of oxygen does not lead to the same changes and I have also read that when oxygen is in short supply, that that is available is swooped up by the brain which has priority for obvious reasons.