Tvisha Nitin

Causes of Chemo Brain, Potential Treatment Options, and its Prevalence in Breast Cancer

Started June 4, 2025

Abstract or project description

Patients undergoing chemotherapy often present a side effect, known as chemo brain. Chemo brain is defined as memory or attention problems that increase with stress, and primarily affects the front subcortical area of the brain. An example in which chemo brain has been found is breast cancer. Doxorubicin, a type of anthracycline, is a chemotherapy drug used to treat breast cancer. However, they present side effects that can be associated with chemo brain. These drugs affect the brain by increasing levels of ROS and TNF-α, even though most drugs are unable to cross the blood brain barrier. The body does contain antioxidants that help manage ROS levels, however chemotherapy drugs lead to an overproduction of ROS. Although there are no FDA approved drugs or treatments to treat chemo brain, there are many experimental treatments. For example, transplanting neural stem cells or mesenchymal stem cells can be shown to reduce inflammation in the brain, thus reversing some aspects of chemo brain. A case study suggests that transcranial magnetic simulation can help repair neuronal pathways, thereby improving verbal memory. I will use clinical trial summaries, academic literature, and case studies to further discuss chemo brain, drugs that cause chemo brain, and how to treat chemo brain.