A Breast Cancer Research Foundation investigator was the lead author of the study, which found participants experienced improvements in “brain fog” symptoms after treatment
Key Takeaways
- A small study found that a nutritional supplement, oxaloacetate, helped improve brain fog symptoms and cognitive function in some patients after breast cancer treatment.
- A Breast Cancer Research Foundation investigator was the lead author of the study.
- More research is still needed, but this is a promising step for breast cancer survivors dealing with cancer-related cognitive impairment.
New data suggests that a nutritional supplement containing oxaloacetate may help improve cognitive and physical functioning in certain breast cancer survivors and thrivers. Familiarly known as “brain fog” or “chemo brain,” cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) can be a side effect of cancer treatments like chemotherapy and may be caused by cancer itself.
The results, originally published in JCO Oncology Advances, come from a small study (18 participants were enrolled, and 16 completed the trial) sponsored by the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, with BCRF investigator and oncologist Dr. Patricia A. Ganz as the lead author of the report.
Researchers examined whether oxaloacetate, a naturally occurring compound, could be an effective treatment for cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) affecting breast cancer survivors. Treatment options for CRCI are scarce despite its significant impact on many breast cancer survivors. Oxaloacetate has been eyed as a potential CRCI treatment because it is involved in both glutamate regulation and cellular energy production. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that supports learning and memory, and cellular energy production converts nutrients into adenosine triphosphate, which is the primary energy source for cells. These processes may be impacted by cancer-related inflammation, resulting in potential cognitive dysfunction.
Study participants received 500 milligrams of oxaloacetate twice a day over the course of eight weeks. The participants were women with early-stage breast cancer, one to five years since initial diagnosis, who had cognitive difficulties. They were ethnically diverse with a mean age of 49.6 years. Most participants had previously undergone chemotherapy and were receiving endocrine (hormone) therapy, another breast cancer treatment, at the time of the study.
Everyone who completed the study reported significantly improved cognitive symptoms and less fatigue. Neuropsychological tests also showed improvements in executive functioning and processing speed–cognitive skills that enable planning, problem-solving, self-regulation, and goal-directed behavior.
The study’s authors emphasized that further research on oxaloacetate is necessary given the study’s small sample size and lack of placebo group. They agreed, however, that the “impressive and universal improvements” in participants’ cognitive functioning are encouraging.
“There was a scientific rationale for possible activity,” says Dr. Ganz of oxaloacetate, “but it had not been studied rigorously. Now we have something that seems to be very active and non-toxic and need to take it forward in a placebo controlled trial.” The investigators received U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval for a phase 2, randomized placebo-control trial, which is slated to open later this year.
Dr. Ganz hopes to confirm oxaloacetate’s impact in this next trial. If they can verify the results, she says, “it will be very valuable for treatment of both cognitive difficulties and fatigue that are common in [about] 25% of breast cancer patients after treatment ends.”
