In fact, cancer survivors are 40 percent more likely than those
who haven't had cancer to experience the kind of memory
impairment -- called "cancer-related cognitive dysfunction" --
that compromises their ability to function on a daily basis, the
study authors reported. "One of the most important parts of
cancer treatment is management of symptoms, such as impairments
in attention, memory and fatigue, in order to improve a
patient's quality of life," Pascal Jean-Pierre, an assistant
professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of
Miami Miller School of Medicine and the Sylvester Comprehensive
Cancer Center, said. "This study suggests these memory issues
are more common than had been recognized before, and should be
assessed in all patients with a history of cancer," he added.
Jean-Pierre stressed that the findings, drawn from a nationwide
sampling of cancer patients, suggest "that memory impairment in
cancer patients is a national problem that we must pay special
attention to." To assess a pos