Breast cancer survivors have a lot to contend with: recovering their health, dealing with the experience, and living life with a changed perspective. However, new research findings suggest that survivors of breast cancer have another thing to deal with - cognitive problems.

According to Paul Jacobsen, Phd, of the Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, survivors may experience problems with certain mental abilities several years after treatment. These problems arise regardless of the form of treatment received; weather it is chemotherapy and radiation or radiation only.

Under the study, Dr. Jacobsen along with his colleagues examined 62 breast cancer patients who were treated with both chemotherapy and radiation, 67 patients treated with radiation only, and 184 women with no history of cancer. These participants were asked to complete a neuropsychological assessment test six months after completing treatment, and again 36 months later.

Results of their research confirmed that chemotherapy can cause cognitive problems in breast cancer survivors that persist for three years after they had finished their treatment.

Researchers also found that breast cancer survivors who had been treated with radiation, not chemotherapy, also reported to experience problems similar to those in breast cancer survivors treated with a combination of chemotherapy and radiation.

When it comes to hormonal therapy, there was no evidence that suggests that it too can cause cognitive problems.

Dr. Jacobsen pointed out that their findings suggest that the problems some breast cancer survivors have with their mental abilities are not due just to the administration of chemotherapy as other previous studies suggested.

A different study, done by Tim A. Ahles, Phd, of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Neurocognitive Research Lab, found that after receiving chemotherapy treatment, cognitive problems arose. Cognitive problems that got affected by treatment were memory and concentration, executive function, ability to learn new material, reading comprehension, and ability to work with numbers.

With all of these problems coming to light after receiving treatment for breast cancer, how can people manage them? LiveStrong.org recommended keeping a record of cognitive problems that a person encounters and to talk to a health care team about those symptoms. Treating underlying conditions was found to lessen or eliminate cognitive problems.