Thinking and memory changes

Your job might require you to interact with others, solve problems and concentrate for long periods of time. After cancer treatment, it can be difficult to concentrate. You may feel like you are in a fog. This is called cancer-related cognitive impairment. Other terms used to describe this include “chemo brain”, “cancer fog” and “brain fog”.

These changes may be caused by the cancer or cancer treatments, and they usually improve with time. Tell your doctor about any thinking or memory problems you are having.

Listen to our podcast on Brain Fog and Cancer

Tips for improving concentration

• Get plenty of sleep. Deep sleep is important for memory and concentration.
• Keep a diary or set appointment reminders on your phone.
• Carry a small notepad or download an app to your phone so you can jot down things you need to remember.
• Create to-do lists to help keep track of the things you need to achieve. Complete tasks one at a time rather than multitasking.
• Refer to project plans, meeting minutes and other documents to jog your memory.
• Plan activities so you do things that require more concentration when you are more alert.
• If possible, let calls go to voicemail and return them when you’ve had time to prepare your response.
• Let your manager know you may need more time to finish tasks. Discuss realistic deadlines for your projects.
• Talk to an occupational therapist about strategies to improve your memory.

For more on this, see Changes in thinking and memory.