Some people who have had chemotherapy describe a fog that makes it hard to remember, concentrate or plan. It can affect work, family life and confidence long after treatment. A new review of 21 studies suggests that the problem touches many parts of daily life, and that patients rely on a range of coping strategies, though one common approach does not work.

Researchers at Khon Kaen University in Thailand and the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University in China carried out a mixed-methods systematic review. The findings appear in BMC Psychology. They searched seven databases for studies published between November 2015 and October 2025 and included quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods research.

The team assessed the quality of each study with a standard appraisal tool and combined the findings using a convergent synthesis, which brings numbers and patient accounts together. In total, 21 studies met the selection criteria. The quantitative and qualitative strands were reported together, so that numerical findings and patient descriptions could be read side by side. The review covered patients who were undergoing or had completed chemotherapy.

Cancer-related cognitive impairment is the term for problems with thinking that arise from cancer or its treatment, such as memory loss and poor concentration. Executive function covers planning, organising and switching between tasks. Coping strategies are the things people do to manage a problem.

Patients mainly described memory decline, poor concentration and weaker executive function. These problems affected daily life, work, social interactions and mood. Patients said they needed better information, supportive care and contact with others in the same position.

Coping strategies included using tools such as reminders, regulating emotions, adjusting tasks, improving lifestyle habits and seeking social support. Some were seen as helpful. Powering through, or pushing on regardless, was described as ineffective, and the effect of each strategy varied from person to person.

The authors say the findings can support individualised nursing care for people with cognitive problems after cancer treatment. Patient reports of what helps are valuable for nurses because they show which approaches people are willing to use in daily life. They call for research across more cultures, so that support can be adapted to different settings.

The study has clear limits. The reported benefits of coping strategies reflect what patients perceived, not tested interventions, so the review cannot say which strategies truly work. Patient accounts cannot show how common each experience is, and the review did not pool results into a single effect size.

Earlier research has shown that cognitive problems after chemotherapy are common. This review adds the patient perspective, and points to practical tools and support, rather than powering through, as the approaches patients found more useful. The authors add that benefits reported by patients are subjective impressions, which is why the review does not treat them as proven treatments.