Mesothelioma is a particularly challenging form of cancer that has proven extremely resistant to traditional treatment protocols. Most patients are offered multimodality treatments that include chemotherapy, and that regimen can lead to a troubling side effect referred to as ‘chemobrain.’ This week researchers have published a study that suggests that it may be caused by an excess of calcium within cells.
Chemobrain is a Common Side Effect for Mesothelioma Patients
Though mesothelioma is always considered a fatal disease, chemotherapy can help shrink tumors, extending life expectancy and improving quality of life for some time. Unfortunately, those benefits are accompanied by side effects, including loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, hair loss, and fatigue.
In addition to these side effects, many mesothelioma patients treated with chemotherapy experience a form of cognitive impairment that has come to be known as chemobrain. Patients describe it as a brain fog or weakness that is among the most troubling impacts of their treatment. Now researchers from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center believe that they’ve found its cause: They believe that chemotherapy causes an excess of calcium to be released inside the brain.
Study Shows Calcium’s Link to Chemobrain
Following receipt of an NIH grant on chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment, Andrew Marks, MD, chair and professor of physiology and cellular biophysics at VP&S, and his collaborator, endocrinologist Theresa Guise, MD, noted that their previous study had discovered a calcium leak related to heart failure as well as the cognitive decline that accompanies heart failure, PTSD, long COVID, and Alzheimer’s. They set out to investigate whether the same could be true following chemotherapy use.
Their test revealed that mice undergoing chemotherapy treatment experienced calcium leaks in the brain and neurocognitive dysfunction whether they had cancer or not. The group is now hoping to develop a clinical trial to test an experimental drug that will reduce the risk of this calcium leak. If they are successful, it could mean a significant improvement in quality of life for patients with mesothelioma undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma or lung cancer, studies like these can make a big difference in your experience. For information on other resources available to you, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
