• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

ABOUT US RESOURCES TESTIMONIALS BLOG CONTACT US

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Find Your State
  • Find Your Specialty
  • Choose a Facility
  • Resources
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Request A Quote

Cancer Treatments and Brain Aging

January 8, 2019

The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be over 1.7 million new cancer cases diagnosed by the end of 2018, as well as 609,640 cancer deaths. To put this in perspective, the next leading cause of death (accidental deaths) results in a little more than 160,000 deaths each year.

Because of this, billions of dollars are spent toward new research each year. Still, a new study reports some disheartening findings about the effects of the current standard cancer treatment. This new study links chemotherapy with accelerated brain aging.

Cancer, Chemo, and Aging

The issue, according to the study, is in the nature of both chemotherapy and some radiation treatments, which destroy cancerous cells but also do harm to healthy cells. Some of the healthy cells that are affected are brain cells. Cancer survivors have suspected as much for years, but have, until recently, not been backed up by solid medical research.

According to Medical News Today, the researchers of the new study examined women that had undergone chemotherapy treatment within a 3-6 year window of the study. The women were examined for signs of abnormal cell aging. Researchers “analyzed markers of biological aging, such as high DNA damage levels, reduced telomerase activity, and shortened telomeres in blood cells.” Those women who exhibited these signs “also showed poor attention and a decline in motor (movement) speed.”

Chemo Brain?

This study comes on the heels of recent related studies, which examined the science behind “chemo brain.” Chemo brain, according to the Mayo Clinic, “is a common term used by cancer survivors to describe thinking and memory problems that can occur after cancer treatment.” These previous studies showed significant cognitive dysfunction in cancer survivors which linked these common cancer treatments with memory and executive brain function. The new study takes these findings further, establishing a possible biological cause for such impairment.

The drawback of chemotherapy has long been its dependence on damaging the DNA of malignant cells, without an ability to discriminate between good and bad cells. Cancer patients frequently report alarming side effects, from the well-known effects of hair loss and fatigue, to the lesser known effects of anemia and radical changes in appetite.

Now that a direct connection has been made between chemotherapy and brain aging, research into more viable treatment strategies is needed more than ever. This new research is especially alarming, given the way that cognitive illnesses such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s have risen over the last decade. The hope is that future research will find a way to treat cancer that doesn’t create additional harm to the body.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: aging, brain, chemo, chemotherapy, research

Primary Sidebar

Calendar

January 2019
M T W T F S S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  
« Nov   Feb »

Categories

  • Ask eQuoteMD
  • General
  • Malpractice Insurance
  • Malpractice Insurance Coverage
  • Medical Liability Insurance
  • Medical Malpractice
  • medical malpractice insurance
  • medical malpractice lawsuit
  • OB/GYN
  • tail coverage
  • Telehealth
  • Uncategorized

Tags

Affordable Medical Malpractice Insurance best malpractice insurance California claims made coverage damage caps defensive medicine doctors liability insurance group medical malpractice insurance hipaa individual medical malpractice insurance judicial legal legislation liability malpractice malpractice insurance Malpractice Insurance Coverage malpractice insurance for doctors Malpractice Insurance near me malpractice insurance quote medical liability insurance medical malpractice medical malpractice coverage medical malpractice insurance medical malpractice insurance broker medical malpractice insurance companies medical malpractice insurance company Medical Malpractice Insurance for Family Medicine Medical Malpractice Insurance provider medical malpractice insurance providers medical malpractice lawsuit medical professional liability insurance news non-economic damages occurrence physician malpractice insurance policy professional medical liability insurance research study tail tail coverage technology tort reform

Footer

eQuoteMD

BLOG

Integris Group logo

The legal elements involved in a medical malpractice case include: Legal duty Breach of that READ MORE

Doctor And Nurse Suture Patient In Emergency Room

As a physician, you are no doubt aware of the importance of having malpractice insurance to protect READ MORE

Pregnant woman lying down on a hospital bed and talking to a doctor

“Medical Malpractice Insurance policies have become a commodity in the insurance industry, meaning READ MORE

FIND YOUR STATE FIND YOUR SPECIALTY CHOOSE A FACILITY

ABOUT US RESOURCES TESTIMONIALS BLOG CONTACT US

HOME ADA DISCLAIMER PRIVACY POLICY SITEMAP

Copyright © 2023 · eQuoteMD · All Rights Reserved

iHealthspot Medical Website Design and Medical Marketing by iHealthSpot.com

eQuoteMD provides medical malpractice insurance services in all states for all specialties.