Nov 01 2021 1 mins 10
Many women being treated with chemotherapy for breast cancer report ‘brain fog,’ or cognition issues. Now a new study examines whether exercise can help reduce or even eliminate this side effect of treatment. William Nelson, director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, explains.
Nelson: When it came to exercise itself and to cognitive issues it was all impacted. So if you look at the immediate end of chemotherapy, the amount of physical activity was less, the cognitive decline was maximal at that point. And that the physical activity and the cognitive decline had largely, although not completely, had largely recovered by six months later. And then they went to look at the women who had the higher levels of physical activity and they seemed to be impacted less at each of the time points. :30
Nelson says it’s also known that regular exercise can reduce a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer at all. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.
Nelson: When it came to exercise itself and to cognitive issues it was all impacted. So if you look at the immediate end of chemotherapy, the amount of physical activity was less, the cognitive decline was maximal at that point. And that the physical activity and the cognitive decline had largely, although not completely, had largely recovered by six months later. And then they went to look at the women who had the higher levels of physical activity and they seemed to be impacted less at each of the time points. :30
Nelson says it’s also known that regular exercise can reduce a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer at all. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.
