Reviewed: December 2006

Memory/ thinking dysfunction is the information-handling aspect of behavior and encompasses the brain's attaining, processing, storage and retrieval of information. Many people with cancer experience difficulty with cognitive function, including memory loss, distractibility, difficulty in performing multiple tasks (multitasking), and trouble with arithmetic and language skills. Concerns relating to memory dysfunctioning may range in severity, intensity and duration.

Forgetting an important date or the name of a long-time associate, being unable to read an entire newspaper article in one sitting, suddenly finding it impossible to prepare family dinners that were once second nature - many people with cancer are surprised to discover that they have cognitive problems surrounding the cancer experience. People with cancer generally have fairly mild, limited cognitive problems, that tend to respond very well to focused rehabilitation efforts. Several treatment options offer hope and assistance for this concerning symptom that often accompanies the cancer experience.

For people with cancer the most common types of memory impairment include problems with:

• Short-term memory the storage of information from seconds to hours to days.
• Long-term memory is not often affected in people with cancer. The cognitive processes most affected include attention, learning and memory, and psychomotor efficiency.

The BC Cancer Agency maintains a list of commonly used unconventional therapies available to cancer patients.