Your Brain after Chemo: A Practical Guide to Lifting the Fog and Getting Back Your Focus

Chemotherapy saves lives, but new studies—including research led by coauthor Dr. Dan Silverman—reveal that the agents used to kill cancer cells may also impair normal brain function. Even years after treatment, patients report problems with memory, concentrating, multitasking, and word retrieval. As one person put it, “I’ve lost my edge.”

If you’ve undergone chemotherapy, perhaps you’re among those who’ve had trouble following the thread of a conversation or feel “less than” who you once were. Until recently, oncologists often discounted or trivialized “chemo brain.” Now, argue Silverman and Idelle Davidson, there is plenty of evidence to the contrary; thankfully, you can rest assured that you’re not alone in feeling this way—and that you can do something about it.

Calling on cutting-edge scientific research and the inspiring stories of survivors (including Davidson’s own experiences with chemotherapy and its effects), this groundbreaking book will forever change how you think about your brain after chemo. Perhaps most important, it offers much-needed strategies to improve memory and focus, and an invaluable nine-step program to help keep your brain sharp. Your Brain after Chemo gives you the coping skills to move on with your life.
 

Daniel H. Silverman, MD, PhD, is head of the Neuronuclear Imaging Section in the Ahmanson Biological Imaging Division at UCLA Medical Center, associate director of the UCLA Alzheimer's Disease Center Imaging Core, and associate professor in the Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology.

Idelle Davidson is an award-winning health, medical, and general-interest journalist whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times Magazine, Time, Parents, Parenting, and many others. She lives in Los Angeles.