Decreased Mental Alertness, Concentration, and Memory

Cancer-related fatigue can affect cognitive function in different ways. People living with fatigue may experience difficulties focusing, sustaining attention, and recalling information. In oncology, these cognitive issues are generally referred to “chemo brain” or “chemo fog”, but chemotherapy is just one of many treatments and factors that contribute to it. These cognitive changes can also be caused by distracting symptoms (e.g. fatigue, pain, anxiety) and disturbances within important behaviours (e.g. sleep).