A Phase II randomized trial found that a six-week, home-based walking and resistance program improved attention test performance and reduced reports that others noticed cognitive problems among patients receiving chemotherapy. Low-dose ibuprofen improved some attention measures but showed mixed results on memory outcomes. The study was published in Cancer.
Cancer patients often report cognitive changes during treatment—sometimes called “chemo brain”—including trouble concentrating and memory lapses. Researchers involved in a new Phase II trial said as many as 80% of people receiving chemotherapy experience some degree of cancer-related cognitive impairment. In the study, 86 cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and reporting cognitive difficulties were randomly assigned to one of four groups for six weeks: a home-based exercise program known as Exercise for Cancer Patients (EXCAP) combined with low-dose ibuprofen, EXCAP combined with placebo, low-dose ibuprofen alone, or placebo alone. After six weeks, participants assigned to EXCAP plus placebo performed significantly better on tests of attention than those assigned to placebo. Those in the low-dose ibuprofen–only group also improved on some attention measures compared with placebo, but the overall pattern of results for ibuprofen was mixed. The researchers also assessed whether cognitive problems were being noticed by people around participants. Compared with placebo, participants in both exercise groups (EXCAP plus ibuprofen and EXCAP plus placebo) showed improvement on a measure capturing whether friends, family members, or coworkers had commented on or observed cognitive difficulties. Results related to memory were less favorable for ibuprofen: participants taking low-dose ibuprofen showed less improvement in short-term verbal memory than participants not taking the medication, a finding the researchers said warrants further study. “We are encouraged by the findings of this trial that suggest possible benefits of both interventions for some cognitive domains. Clearly, we saw a more pronounced effect with exercise,” said lead author Michelle C. Janelsins of the University of Rochester and the Wilmot Cancer Institute. She and her colleagues said larger Phase III trials are needed to confirm the findings, and Janelsins advised patients experiencing cognitive issues during treatment to consult their healthcare provider before starting any intervention.
