In this session, Elizabeth Wells (PhD candidate at the University of South Australia), librarian and former teacher, presents on cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) — often called cancer fog or brain fog.
Elizabeth explains who can experience CRCI (across many cancer types and treatments), the common symptoms (attention, memory, processing speed, executive function), and why it can be difficult to test in a “real life” environment despite standard cognitive assessments. She outlines current theories about what may contribute to CRCI (including inflammation, treatment effects, and patient factors like stress and sleep), and shares practical coping strategies such as simple organisation tools, pacing, exercise where appropriate, mental stimulation that’s enjoyable, and talking openly with your healthcare team and support networks.
A major focus of the talk is Elizabeth’s PhD research exploring whether listening to stories (being read to) — rather than reading independently — might support emotional wellbeing and restore the benefits of reading for people experiencing CRCI during treatment. She introduces bibliotherapy (reading for therapeutic benefit), describes its historical use and emerging evidence across wellbeing, pain and sleep, and invites participants to join her reading-aloud research project (including via Zoom for those outside Adelaide).
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