Does serious memory lost have anything to do with chemotherapy?

[ttpung]

Hi, My dad just finished his chemotherapy treatment a year ago, as he was treated for duke C stage colon cancer. But recently he is experiencing memory lost, and it's becoming more and more serious. His body is weaken as well. My question is, is there any side effect of chemotherapy that will only surface after several months or year? My family doctor says it might due to stroke, but I wanted to be sure whether or not it has something to do with his cancer? I am not quite sure which specialist i should bring him to....

[terbear1]

my mother in law had chemo twice in the past 4 years.  She forgets things all the time now, and she calls it "chemo brain".  It is frustrating for me, because she used to be so sharp with stuff, but now if I tell her something, like I am going to the store and will right back.  When the phone rings 30 minutes later, and the caller is asking for me, she will say she searched the house for me, and I was no where to be found.  She has no idea where I am.  I will tell her that we are having a party at 4pm at the house, and she will be out shopping not remembering that we are having a party at all.  Sometimes, she will swear I never told her anything of the sort!  Frustrating for sure.

[Kamal S Saini, MD, MRCP (UK), DM]

Hi,
Many chemotherapy drugs have some neurologic toxic effects. Two common examples are vincristine and paclitaxel, both of which can cause neuropathy. This may manifest as numbness, pain in limbs, a sensation of 'pins and needles', constipation, etc.
Some side effects of chemotherapy drugs do manifest a long time after completing the therapy (one classic example being leukemia induced by Etoposide).
Memory loss, however, is not classically described as a side effect of chemotherapy.
Please consult a neurologist to rule out more common causes of memory loss like Alzheimers disease.