what can cause erratic behavior in someone recently out of cancer treatment

Chemo brain can occur during or after chemotherapy treatment. Delirium may occur suddenly during treatment. Delirium usually happens after an identified cause, such as chemotherapy, and it is often reversible. Dementia due to cancer treatment comes on gradually over time and usually after treatment is completed.

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What are the possible changes in behavior after cancer treatment?

Changes in behavior may include mild memory loss, mood swings, or intense emotional outbursts. Tumor location, medications (such as chemotherapy and steroids), and stressful life situations can influence behavior.

Is there any connection between his cancer and/or treatment and his behavior?

Is there any connection between his cancer and/or treatment and his behavior? When a person is diagnosed with a brain tumor, changes in behavior and thinking occur in most patients at some point during their treatment. Changes in behavior may include mild memory loss, mood swings, or intense emotional outbursts.

Does breast cancer cause behavioral disturbances?

This review focuses on behavioral disturbances experienced by breast cancer patients, including fatigue, sleep problems, depression, and cognitive disturbance. These symptoms are among the most common side effects of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, and may endure for months or years after treatment completion.

What cancer treatments cause late effects?

What cancer treatments cause late effects? Treatment Late effects Chemotherapy Dental problems Early menopause Hearing ... Radiation therapy Cavities and tooth decay Early menopause ... Surgery Lymphedema Hormone therapy Blood clots Hot flashes (in men as well ... 2 more rows ...

Can cancer treatment cause personality changes?

Emotional and mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, stress, and having trouble sleeping can add to that foggy feeling. Chemo brain can also intensify feelings of frustration or anger. That's OK.

Can cancer make you mentally unstable?

A cancer diagnosis can affect the emotional health of patients, families, and caregivers. Common feelings during this life-changing experience include anxiety, distress, and depression. Roles at home, school, and work can be affected. It's important to recognize these changes and get help when needed.

Can cancer cause behavior changes?

Changes in behavior may include mild memory loss, mood swings, or intense emotional outbursts. Tumor location, medications (such as chemotherapy and steroids), and stressful life situations can influence behavior.

Can chemo cause altered mental status?

Chemo brain is most commonly connected with chemotherapy, but other treatments, such as hormone therapy, radiation, and surgery may be associated with it also. These treatments can cause short-term, long-term, or delayed mental changes or cognitive problems.

What are the signs that cancer has spread to brain?

Brain metastases cause many of the same symptoms as tumors that originate in the brain, such as:Seizures.Numbness.Balance and coordination issues.Headaches that are sometimes accompanied by nausea or vomiting.Dizziness.Cognitive impairment, including confusion, memory loss and personality changes.

How does cancer treatment affect mental health?

The mental health problems that arise as a result of cancer are too often sidelined according to our new study. One in three people with cancer will experience a mental health problem such as depression or anxiety disorders before, during or after treatment.

What can cause sudden personality changes?

A sudden, undesired or uncontrollable change in your personality may be the sign of a serious condition. Several mental illnesses can lead to personality changes. These include anxiety disorders, borderline personality disorder, dementia, and schizophrenia.

Is it normal for cancer patients to get angry?

Feelings of anger are common among cancer patients, and those feelings can crop up at any time. According to oncologists, anger is one of the first emotions that patients express upon being diagnosed, but it is also common for those who suffer relapses.

Can cancer cause dementia like symptoms?

Some symptoms or side effects of cancer may be like the ones caused by dementia. If the person you care for has symptoms you are worried about, talk to the doctor or nurse.

What causes an altered mental state?

In infants and children, the most common causes of altered mental status include infection, trauma, metabolic changes, and toxic ingestion. Young adults most often present with altered mental status secondary to toxic ingestion or trauma.

What is chemo delirium?

Delirium is a confused mental state that can occur in patients who have cancer. Delirium is a confused mental state that can occur in patients who have cancer, especially advanced cancer. Patients with delirium have problems with the following: Attention. Thinking.

How long is chemo rage?

Does chemobrain ever go away? For most patients, chemobrain improves within 9-12 months after completing chemotherapy, but many people still have symptoms at the six-month mark.

What Are Late Effects of Cancer Treatment?

Late effects are side effects of cancer treatment that become apparent after your treatment has ended. Cancer survivors might experience late effec...

What Cancer Treatments Cause Late Effects?

Late effects of cancer treatment can come from any of the main types of cancer treatment: chemotherapy, hormone therapy, radiation, surgery, target...

What Late Effects Might People Who Were Treated For Childhood Cancers Experience?

If you underwent cancer treatment as a child, you may be at risk of many of the same late side effects of treatment as people who were adults durin...

What Signs and Symptoms Might Signal That You're Experiencing Late Effects of Cancer Treatment?

Talk to your doctor about the late effects of your particular treatment. In some cases, your doctor will know what effects are at risk to you. But...

What Can You Do to Prevent Late Effects of Cancer Treatment?

It isn't clear that late effects are preventable or why some people might experience late effects while others don't. While this can be frustrating...

What late effects might people who were treated for childhood cancers experience?

If you underwent cancer treatment as a child, you may be at risk of many of the same late side effects of treatment as people who were adults during their cancer treatments.

What signs and symptoms might signal that you're experiencing late effects of cancer treatment?

Talk to your doctor about the late effects of your particular treatment. In some cases, your doctor will know what effects are at risk to you. But the late effects of many treatments still aren't known.

What can you do to prevent late effects of cancer treatment?

While this can be frustrating, you can take steps to help cope should you experience late effects of treatment. Exercising and eating a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables can help make you stronger and healthier. Avoiding tobacco, excessive alcohol use and prolonged sun exposure also are very helpful.

What to do if you have cancer and no longer seeing a doctor?

If you were treated for cancer many years ago or are no longer seeing a cancer specialist for checkups, talk to your primary care doctor about late effects . If you think you might be experiencing late effects or your doctor isn't sure what late effects to watch for, ask for a referral to a cancer specialist.

What happens if you have cancer years ago?

Increased risk of other types of cancers. Nerve damage. If you were treated for cancer many years ago, you may assume any health problems you have are related to aging, not past cancer treatments. Tell your doctor what you know about your childhood cancer treatments.

How to get rid of cancer?

Exercising and eating a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables can help make you stronger and healthier. Avoiding tobacco, excessive alcohol use and prolonged sun exposure also are very helpful. Long-term side effects of cancer treatment.

Can cancer cause late side effects?

But you may also be at risk of additional late side effects. That's because children's bones, tissues and organs are growing rapidly during treatment, so cancer treatment can interfere during this critical time of growth. As with late side effects in adult cancer survivors, late side effects in childhood cancer survivors will vary depending on ...

How does cancer affect fatigue?

Several factors are thought to contribute to cancer-related fatigue, including direct effects of cancer, side effects of cancer treatment, psychosocial factors, comorbid physical symptoms, and comorbid medical conditions.18Studie s conducted with breast cancer patients have highlighted the importance of several of these pathways. Psychosocial factors are strongly correlated with fatigue among breast cancer patients and survivors, particularly depressive symptoms.19Although the majority of research linking depression and fatigue is cross-sectional, emerging data from longitudinal studies suggests that depression may increase the risk for significant fatigue during and after cancer treatment.7,12However, there is also evidence that fatigue occurs independently from depression.20,21Coping strategies may influence cancer-related fatigue, particularly the tendency to catastrophize (i.e., react to fatigue with negative self-statements and negative thoughts about the future) in response to fatigue symptoms.7,22,23Finally, fatigue is correlated with sleep disturbance and pain in cancer populations10,15, although the causal links between these symptoms have not been determined.

How does psychosocial intervention help with cancer?

Psychosocial interventions are also associated with improvements in cancer-related fatigue. For example, an educational group intervention designed to provide information about cancer and ways to manage the disease and treatment-related side effects had positive effects on vitality, physical functioning, and health-related role limitations in women undergoing treatment for breast cancer 40, with the beneficial effects of treatment on vitality maintained over a 3-year follow-up.41Other forms of group therapy, such as supportive expressive group therapy, have shown beneficial effects on fatigue among women with metastatic disease.42Patient administered treatments have also demonstrated positive effects on fatigue, including a self-administered form of stress management training43and a peer-modeling video designed for women who had recently completed treatment.44

What are the factors that increase the risk of enduring sleep problems?

Perpetuatingfactors that increase risk for enduring sleep problems in the general population include maladaptive sleep habits and dysfunctional cognitions about sleep.88In particular, spending more time in bed, napping during the day, and having an irregular sleep-wake schedule may desynchronize the sleep-wake cycle and lead to persistent problems with sleep. Having unrealistic expectations about sleep, inaccurate appraisals of sleep difficulties, misattributions of daytime impairments, and misconceptions about the causes of insomnia may also perpetuate sleep problems. The degree to which these factors influence fatigue in breast cancer patients is an important topic for future research.

What are the factors that contribute to fatigue in breast cancer patients?

They are also more likely to have comorbid medical problems and a higher body mass index.10,12,24

How long does fatigue last after breast cancer treatment?

Longitudinal studies have shown an increase in fatigue symptoms among breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy or chemotherapy, although fatigue is typically more pronounced and more disruptive during chemotherapy.8For most women, energy improves in the year after treatment completion.9However, a significant minority continue to experience fatigue for years after successful treatment.10,11Studies of long-term breast cancer survivors suggest that approximately one-quarter to one-third experience persistent fatigue for up to 10 years after cancer diagnosis.12,13

What are the side effects of breast cancer?

This review focuses on behavioral disturbances experienced by breast cancer patients, including fatigue, sleep problems, depression, and cognitive disturbance. These symptoms are among the most common side effects of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, and may endure for months or years after treatment completion. Behavioral symptoms cause significant disruption in patients’ quality of life and may also have implications for treatment adherence, morbidity, and mortality. Indeed, some patients report that treating behavioral symptoms such as fatigue is as important as treating the cancer itself.4Because depression has received considerable attention in previous reviews, this paper highlights more recent research on fatigue, sleep problems, and cognitive disturbance.

How common is fatigue in cancer patients?

Fatigue is increasingly recognized as one of the most common and distressing side effects of cancer treatment.5Prevalence estimates of fatigue during treatment range from 25% to 99% depending on the study sample and method of assessment; in the majority of studies, 30% to 60% of patients report moderate or severe fatigue symptoms.5,6Using a syndrome approach to characterize fatigue, a recent study found that 26% of breast cancer patients undergoing radiation or chemotherapy met criteria for fatigue “caseness”, as defined by the presence of fatigue or diminished energy and five additional symptoms for at least two weeks that caused clinically significant distress or impairment.7

How does chemotherapy affect your mood?

Chemotherapy can affect a person’s mood, as can other medications such as steroids. It is important that you and your husband inform his doctor of changes in his mood to rule out any medical causes. The change in his personality may also be a sign that he is still struggling emotionally with his diagnosis and treatment.

What does it mean when a man's personality changes?

The change in his personality may also be a sign that he is still struggling emotionally with his diagnosis and treatment. Cancer can be overwhelming and bring up many feelings from anxiety to anger to sadness.

Is it a good idea to seek counseling?

Seeking couple’s counseling is also a good idea if you are having difficulties communicating with each other. The end of treatment often can lead to many strong and conflicting feelings. When a person is first diagnosed with cancer, he/she is often focused on learning about the diagnosis and getting through treatment.

Is cancer care free?

CancerCare's services are free of charge. Services are not withheld due to a client's race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, immigration status, age, marital status, disability, genetic information, veteran/military status or any other protected characteristic as established under law. However, if you are younger than 18 and contact us via [email protected] or our Hopeline, we are limited in the information, resources and support that we can provide without parental/guardian consent. Therefore, if you are under 18, we can only respond to your initial email inquiry. For follow-up information or assistance, please have your parent or legal guardian call our Hopeline at 800-813-HOPE (4673).

Why might personality changes happen in cancer?

Nobody is going to feel okay when they’re told they have cancer. Feeling extreme emotions after hearing bad news or when going through illness and treatment is completely understandable , and it’s important to feel these emotions instead of trying to hide them. But if they’re getting in the way of your day-to-day life, your recovery, or enjoying time with your friends and family, you don’t have to “just get on with it” – there are lots of ways to get help and feel a little bit better.

How can cancer affect someone's personality?

How can cancer impact someone’s personality? There isn’t a “right” way to deal with cancer. Sadness, anger, hope, numbness, fear, determination, denial: the list of feelings you might experience along the journey is endless, and you have every right to feel them. However, if you notice a very sudden change in your own behaviour, ...

How to help someone with personality changes?

Your doctor may be able to prescribe steroids to reduce brain swelling. Medications or therapy for anxiety, irritability and depression can also help things to feel more normal again.

Why do people with cancer have personality changes?

Personality changes in cancer may also be due to impacts on the body’s hormones. Hormones are chemicals released by your body that help to keep it functioning. They control our metabolism (how we produce and use energy), how we respond to changes in our environment, our sexual functioning and our mood.

What happens to your brain when you have cancer?

It also processes all your memories, thoughts, feelings and behaviour. So if your brain is affected by cancer or its treatment, it’s likely that you will experience some changes in personality . These may be temporary or more long term, and can be very scary to deal with.

What to do when you have personality changes?

Whether the personality changes you’re experiencing are a medical issue or simply a completely understandable reaction to a life-changing event, the best and most important thing you can do is to talk to someone about them. Getting advice from your doctor on possible treatments, medications, and therapy is the first step, and there are many other sources of support out there too.

What happens if your liver is failing?

If the liver isn’t able to remove all the harmful chemicals in the blood, these “toxins” can build up and enter the brain. This is called hepatic encephalopathy (HE), and can come about suddenly if the liver shuts down, or more slowly as a result of long term liver damage. HE is a treatable condition, so it’s important to recognise the signs and get medical advice as soon as possible.

Why are relationships difficult in cancer care?

Relational interactions are difficult for patients with personality disorders, almost by definition; the complexity of cancer care (e.g., specific staff roles, interchanging medical care systems) heightens these difficulties, which are also felt by oncology staff. Patients with severe personality traits and/or personality disorders are more ...

What Happens When a Patient With a Personality Disorder Develops Cancer?

According to the American Cancer Society, men have a 39.66% risk of developing cancer in their lifetimes, while women have a 37.65% chance. [23] At the same time, a national epidemiologic study of 43,093 patients found an overall prevalence of 14.79% of adult Americans with at least one personality disorder. Obsessive-compulsive (7.88%), paranoid (4.41%), antisocial (3.63%), schizoid (3.13%), avoidant (2.36%), histrionic (1.84%), and dependent (0.49%) were the most common types of personality disorders. [24] Other community epidemiological studies have shown that approximately 10% of the general population has a personality disorder. [25] Limited data exist on the prevalence of personality traits, but up to 20% of the general population may have severe personality traits that cause significant impairment not meeting a diagnostic specification. [20,26]

What Is a Personality Disorder? What Is Its Origin?

In general, a personality disorder is an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual’s culture, is pervasive and inflexible, has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood, is stable over time, and leads to distress or impairment. [1] Personality traits are also enduring and pervasive in terms of motivation, emotion, interpersonal style, attitudes, and behaviors, but they are not necessarily maladaptive and may not cause distress or impairment. [2] The DSM-5 provides diagnostic criteria for 10 distinct personality disorders (see below). While these diagnostic categories are certainly useful and recognizable from a clinical perspective, they do not complete the entire picture of these disorders. Mental health clinicians often note either overlap or hybrid descriptions or apparent personality disorders that do not clearly meet any one particular subtype criteria. As noted above, the inner experience and behaviors must be enduring throughout many life circumstances or context and have begun by adolescence or early adulthood. This is particularly important because many other psychological/mental conditions, especially when a person is under stress for one reason or another, can mimic behaviors attributable to personality disorders. Identifying a disorder helps clinicians direct their care in a more appropriate way. But caution must be used to protect against overdiagnosis. For this reason, mental health clinicians will often document a “rule out” x,y, or z personality disorder. It is always crucial to critically assess the acute situation in which the patients are evaluated and think of alternative diagnoses. The diagnosis of personality disorders requires comprehensive and longitudinal assessments of behavior patterns that must have manifested prior to age 18.

What Are the Different Types of Personality Disorders?

The DSM-5 classifies personality disorders into three categories or clusters of disorders: A) odd or eccentric; B) dramatic, emotional, or erratic, and C) anxious or fearful . ( Table 1)

What are the characteristics of a person with cancer?

Three basic personality traits have mainly been researched in relation to cancer: neuroticism, extraversion, and conscientiousness. Neuroticism is essentially a state of nervousness that exists on a spectrum from safe to anxious. Extraversion concerns an interest in social company from minimal (introverted) to maximal (extraverted). And conscientiousness (personal reliability) is a personality construct that varies from being responsible and efficient to being irresponsible and lacking efficiency. [10,18] Similar to Hippocrates’ original idea of personality based on the varied construction of four basic personality types composed of varied body fluids, these three personality constructs exist on a spectrum and everyone has essentially a unique contrast that remains relatively stable over time. Optimism may also be considered, especially in its relation to cancer and as a trait in “positive psychology,” but it has also been thought of as the inverse of neuroticism. [19] High optimism is generally thought of as protective in stressful situations.

How does personality intersect with cancer?

Since personality is life-long and pervasive, its features, consequences, and implications endure and are manifest by specific patterns of behavior, choices, environment, stress, and internal hormonal dysregulation.

What is a cancer prone personality?

At one time, having difficulty in expressing emotions and an attitude or tendency towards helplessness/hopelessness (the so-called Type C personality) was thought to be a cancer-prone personality. [11] This idea of a cancer-prone personality type has been debunked in longitudinal studies. [12] However, there is a rich literature of distinct coping styles during stressful situations. For example, Lazarus and Folkman presented the “transactional model of stress” where a given situation requires both a cognitive appraisal about the situation and the person’s relation to the situation. [13] Many of these types of models have been applied to dealing with cancer-related stress. [14] Other coping styles have been investigated such as “fighting spirit”, where the patient views cancer as a challenge with optimism to overcome the adversity; ultimately, consequences of a “fighting spirit” on cancer-related outcomes remains undefined and should not be considered as a prognostic factor for cancer-related survival. [15-17]

What happens when you have a brain tumor?

When a person is diagnosed with a brain tumor, changes in behavior and thinking occur in most patients at some point during their treatment. Changes in behavior may include mild memory loss, mood swings, or intense emotional outbursts.

Why are services not withheld?

Services are not withheld due to a client's race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, immigration status, age, marital status, disability, genetic information, veteran/military status or any other protected characteristic as established under law.

Is cancer care free?

CancerCare's services are free of charge. Services are not withheld due to a client's race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, immigration status, age, marital status, disability, genetic information, veteran/military status or any other protected characteristic as established under law. However, if you are younger than 18 and contact us via [email protected] or our Hopeline, we are limited in the information, resources and support that we can provide without parental/guardian consent. Therefore, if you are under 18, we can only respond to your initial email inquiry. For follow-up information or assistance, please have your parent or legal guardian call our Hopeline at 800-813-HOPE (4673).

How does chemotherapy affect your personality?

Chemotherapy can also affect thinking and personality. The term “chemobrain” is being more frequently used to describe this phenomenon. Cognitive and emotional changes reported during and after chemotherapy include memory loss, slowed thinking, reduced attention, anxiety, depression, and fatigue.

What are the challenges of a person's behavior?

Some behaviors present special challenges. In rare cases, a person can suffer from agitation or paranoia. Behavior can become aggressive or combative. These behaviors can be caused or intensified by various medications. Doctors manage these symptoms by modifying drug dosages, or by prescribing antipsychotic drugs or tranquilizers.

How to deal with chronic illness of family member?

In all cases, it is important to notify your medical team about behavior changes. Chronic illness of a family member can cause emotional distress to the entire family. Dr. Kayl recommends an active role of patients and caregivers in finding ways to cope. “The bottom line for all interventions is this: there is no magic bullet. Each patient will bring different strengths and weaknesses to the table. It’s up to the doctor-patient-family team to develop realistic and attainable goals for coping with cognitive and behavioral changes. What works for one person may not work for another. These are the differences that make us human.”

What are the changes in behavior?

Changes in behavior and thinking occur in the majority of patients at some point during their treatment. The extent of changes can vary considerably from person to person. Changes can be as subtle as mild forgetfulness or as dramatic as deep depression or abusive, violent outbursts. This article will look at the reasons why behavioral ...

How to evaluate changes in brain functioning and to document cognitive strengths and weaknesses?

An excellent way to evaluate changes in brain functioning and to document cognitive strengths and weaknesses is to consult with a neuropsychologist.

What is the most common type of brain tumor?

A large meningioma, the most common type of primary brain tumor, growing in the left temporal and parietal area severely affected Ray’s memory and language centers. Effects of pressure or “disconnection” of interrelated brain areas can cause problems that might not be expected.

What happened to Ray Rosenkaimer?

While on a sailing trip with his wife Diana, Ray Rosenkaimer suffered a terrible headache. He became too disoriented and confused to continue sailing, and Diana took over the helm. The next morning Ray awoke feeling better and thought everything was fine. Instead, he had a frightening and shocking surprise.

Why are there late effects on cancer?

These problems are called late effects. Because more children with cancer now survive into adulthood, their long-term health and these late effects have become a focus of care and research. Careful follow-up after cancer treatment helps doctors find and treat any late effects as early as possible.

What are the factors that determine the follow up on cancer treatment?

The follow-up schedule depends on many things, including the type of cancer the child had, the treatments used, the risk of late effects from those treatments, and other factors such as the patient’s age, amount of chemotherapy or radiation given, and how long it has been since treatment was completed.

What are the treatments for brain cancer?

Treatments that can affect the brain include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.

What are the effects of nonverbal skills?

Other late effects that may show up, depending on the type of treatment used, include things like seizures and frequent headaches.

What is radiation treatment?

Radiation treatment uses high-energy rays (such as x-rays) to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. The radiation may come from outside the body (external radiation) or from radioactive materials placed into or right next to the tumor (internal or implant radiation). Radiation is sometimes used along with other treatments, such as before or after surgery, or along with chemo. For some, it may be the main treatment.

What causes late effects in children?

The child’s genetic make-up (inherited risk for certain health problems) Late effects are caused by the damage that cancer treatment does to healthy cells in the body. Most late effects are caused by chemotherapy or radiation. Major surgery can also lead to late effects.

How long does cancer last in children?

Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Treatment. Today, because of advances in treatment, more than 80% of children treated for cancer survive at least 5 years. But the treatments that help these children survive their cancer can also cause health problems later on. Most treatment side effects appear during or just after treatment ...

How to help elderly with mental decline?

They add that actions that could help reduce this mental decline in elderly patients might include: Giving anti-inflammatory drugs before surgery. Controlling temperature during surgery.

Does surgery cause mental decline?

Earlier studies have pointed to this same pattern of steep mental decline in elderly patients after surgery, followed by a short-term improvement and then a longer decline, Monk says. It's a growing problem since improved surgical techniques and better anesthesia drugs are making surgery-related death less of a medical concern in treating these elderly patients.

Types and Symptoms of Cognitive Changes

When Do Cognitive Changes occur?

• Cognitive changes can occur at any point during your experience with cancer. Sometimes they are the first sign of a brain tumor. These changes may also happen after completing cancer treatment or after taking certain medications. 1. Chemo brain can occur during or after chemotherapy treatment. 2. Delirium may occur suddenly during treatment. Deliri...

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Living with Cognitive Changes