Cancer Drug Causes Permanent Brain Damage

[Guest guest]

Brought to you by The Best Years in Life

 

Cancer Drug Causes Permanent Brain Damage

Monday, October 13, 2008 by: David Gutierrez

 

 

(NaturalNews)

A widely used chemotherapy drug causes damage to the brain that can

last for years after treatment is completed, according to a study

conducted by researchers from the University of Rochester and published

in the Journal of Biology.

 

"It is clear that, in some patients, chemotherapy appears to trigger a

degenerative condition in the central nervous system," lead researcher

Mark Noble said.

 

The findings may help explain why many chemotherapy patients complain

of a condition called "chemo brain," suffering impaired concentration,

memory loss, and even vision problems, dementia or seizures. According

to a previous study by the same research team, more than 82 percent of breast cancer patients report at least one negative cognitive side effect from chemotherapy.

 

A different study found that 50 percent of breast cancer

survivors still felt cognitively impaired one year after the end of

chemotherapy, while another estimated that the effects last for years

in 15 to 20 percent of women.

 

Many health professionals have dismissed these symptoms as side effects

of cancer-related anxiety, depression or fatigue, saying there is no

evidence for physical causes.

 

In the current study, researchers gave the drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)

to mice and observed the effects on their brains. They found that 5-FU

attacked cells in the brain

known as oligodendrocytes, destroying them so thoroughly that even six

months after the end of treatment, the mice's brains were almost devoid

of the cells.

 

Oligodendrocytes are responsible for producing the protective myelin

sheath that keeps nerve signals traveling smoothly. The degeneration of

this sheath is associated with a variety of neurological conditions,

including Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis.

 

5-FU is a common component of chemotherapy cocktails used to treat

bladder, breast, colon, ovarian, stomach and pancreatic cancer.

 

Another study by Noble's team found that three widely used chemotherapy

drugs actually do more damage to the brain than the cancers they are

being used to treat.

 

Sources for this story include: news.bbc.co.uk.

[Guest guest]

WOW is all I can say!

 

B & ACNew MapQuest Local shows what's happening at your destination. Dining, Movies, Events, News more. Try it out!