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New research suggests a nutritional supplement may help relieve brain fog associated with cancer treatment for some patients.A recent small study found that oxaloacetate supplementation was associated with reduced cognitive symptoms for breast cancer survivors.Experts say more research is needed.<\/p>\n
Cancer treatments like chemotherapy can come with a lot of intense side effects, making an already difficult diagnosis even harder on your body. But a recent small study published in JCO Oncology Advances<\/a> suggests that a nutritional supplement may help keep treatment side effects at bay.<\/p>\n Meet the experts: Patricia A. Ganz, M.D.<\/a>, study author, director of cancer prevention and control research of the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA Health, and Breast Cancer Research Foundation<\/a> scientist; Larry Norton, M.D.,<\/a> breast medical oncologist and medical director of the Evelyn Lauder Breast Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering.<\/p>\n The researchers set out to test whether the nutritional supplement oxaloacetate may help combat symptoms of cognitive impairment\u2014like brain fog\u2014that commonly arise during and after cancer treatment. Among the 18 early-stage breast cancer survivors with cognitive complaints who were enrolled in the study, 16 reported noticing significant improvements in their cognition. And the researchers also noted improvements in their self-reported overall fatigue<\/a>, mental fatigue, and physical function with oxaloacetate supplementation.<\/p>\n The findings are promising, but because the study was so small, it\u2019s still too early to draw sweeping conclusions. Here\u2019s what experts want you to know.<\/p>\n Why are the findings significant?<\/p>\n When someone gets a cancer diagnosis, their medical care becomes focused on treating the cancer<\/a>. But the side effects that come with those treatments, like cognitive complaints, often aren\u2019t addressed.<\/p>\n And these side effects aren\u2019t uncommon, either\u2014they affect \u201c20 to 25% of breast cancer<\/a> survivors,\u201d according to Patricia A. Ganz, M.D.<\/a>, study author, director of cancer prevention and control research of the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA Health, yet we don\u2019t currently have medications designed to treat them. That\u2019s what she says makes this study promising. Along with helping cognitive complaints, the oxaloacetate also improved fatigue, insomnia<\/a>, and physical functioning, she says.<\/p>\n As for how it works? While more research is needed to confirm an exact mechanism, researchers suspect that oxaloacetate, a naturally occurring compound, may help boost cognition in two ways: by reducing excess levels of glutamate (a neurotransmitter involved in learning and memory) that can build up in response to inflammation, and supporting energy production in the body\u2019s cells. Both processes may be affected by cancer and its treatments. These potential effects have also drawn interest<\/a> as potential avenues of treatment for conditions that cause similar symptoms, like the fatigue involved in long COVID.<\/p>\n The results may be encouraging, but that doesn\u2019t mean oxaloacetate supplements are ready for widespread use among cancer patients. Again, only 18 people participated in the study, so more research needs to be done. There may also be side effects of oxaloacetate that haven\u2019t yet been explored. \u201cAll medicines have good and not-so-good effects,\u201d explains Larry Norton, M.D.,<\/a> breast medical oncologist and medical director of the Evelyn Lauder Breast Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering. \u201cFor this reason, it is important to follow the well-established processes that determine if the balance of good outweighs the downsides. This has not yet been accomplished with this compound.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Ganz agrees. \u201cRight now, we cannot recommend this supplement without future testing, but it is very encouraging to know that there is a medication that can reverse these bothersome post-treatment symptoms,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n What does this mean for cancer patients?<\/p>\n The results of the study are an encouraging sign that common side effects of cancer treatments may soon have medications available to treat them. But there\u2019s still a lot we don\u2019t know about the cognitive effects many cancer patients experience and what actually causes them.<\/p>\n Add Prevention as a preferred source in your Google search results.<\/p>\n Use your Google account to add this to your settings.<\/p>\n Add to Google settings<\/p>\n \u201cCancer doctors and nurses are aware of these effects. We do discuss them with patients. And it is not just cancer treatments that can cause mental changes; many medicines and procedures (like anesthesia) can cause some mental \u2018fogging,\u2019\u201d Dr. Norton explains. \u201cWe are also aware that there are correctable changes that can occur in anybody\u2014anemia<\/a>, sleep problems, depression, thyroid function, for example\u2014that could be mistaken for drug-induced mental changes. So, the evaluation of \u2018fog\u2019 needs to be comprehensive.\u201d<\/p>\n There are a lot of factors that may play a role in worsening cognitive impairment beyond the cancer treatments themselves, including stress and natural aging, according to Dr. Norton. \u201cBut it is now clear that some anticancer drugs are more likely than others to cause changes in brain functioning. Sometimes we can see changes on brain imaging, like an MRI,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, side effects\u2014including but not limited to brain fog\u2014are by no means a universal experience, according to Dr. Norton. \u201cMany receive cancer treatment with no negative effects. And most drug-induced changes in mental functioning\u2014when they occur\u2014are mild and transient,\u201d he says. \u201cSo, fear of these effects is not a good reason to avoid potentially lifesaving medicines.\u201d The potentially lifesaving capabilities of cancer treatment drugs continue to outweigh other negative side effects, based on what we know now.<\/p>\n![\"Google\"](\"https:\/\/www.prevention.com\/_assets\/design-tokens\/fre\/static\/icons\/social\/google.1467f37.svg\")
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