For some breast cancer survivors, the effects of treatment can linger long after their cancer care ends. Memory lapses, difficulty concentrating, and persistent exhaustion can interfere with everyday life, sometimes for years. Now, researchers at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have found promising early evidence that a supplement containing a naturally occurring molecule could help relieve these symptoms.
The molecule, called oxaloacetate, is already present in the human body and plays an important role in how cells generate energy. In a small clinical trial, breast cancer survivors who took the supplement for eight weeks reported noticeable improvements in thinking, memory, concentration, and fatigue.
The results, published in JCO Oncology Advances, also showed improvements on cognitive tests measuring how quickly participants processed information and performed tasks requiring planning, attention, and mental flexibility. Although larger studies are needed to confirm the findings, the results suggest a potentially new way to address a problem that has long been difficult to treat.
"Cancer-related cognitive impairment can persist long after treatment ends and can have a significant impact on a person's daily life, yet we still have very few effective treatments for it," said Dr. Patricia Ganz, the study's first author and a distinguished professor of medicine at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
Source: ScienceDaily - Neuroscience — Read the full article on the original site ↗