Up to 80% of people who receive chemotherapy experience cancer-related cognitive impairment, which most commonly involves mild-to-moderate changes such as difficulty paying attention, memory lapses, and struggles with multitasking. A new Phase II trial found that exercise and low-dose ibuprofen can each help to lessen cognitive problems and help protect patients’ cognitive function. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER , a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.
Both exercise and anti-inflammatory medications can improve cognitive outcomes in a variety of disease settings, but little is known in the setting of cancer. Because exercise and ibuprofen both reduce inflammation through different pathways, their combined use could potentially have additive or synergistic effects on lessening cancer-related cognitive impairment.
To investigate, researchers randomized 86 patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy who reported cognitive problems to four study arms for six weeks: Exercise for Cancer Patients (EXCAP) + low-dose ibuprofen, EXCAP + Placebo, low-dose ibuprofen only, and Placebo only. (EXCAP is a home-based, low-to-moderate intensity, progressive walking and resistance exercise prescription.)
After six weeks, participants in the EXCAP + Placebo group demonstrated significantly better attention performance compared with the Placebo group. The ibuprofen-only group also showed greater improvements than the Placebo group. Compared with Placebo participants, both EXCAP + ibuprofen and EXCAP + Placebo participants exhibited improvements on a measure that assessed how often friends, family, or coworkers have commented on or noticed the patient’s cognitive difficulties. However, the ibuprofen group showed less improvement on a measure of short-term verbal memory compared with those not on ibuprofen, which needs to be further investigated.
The findings suggest that exercise can positively impact cognitive function in individuals receiving chemotherapy. Ibuprofen may also help improve some cognitive functions, but perhaps to a lesser (and less consistent) extent. Phase III trials are needed to explore these findings further.
“We are encouraged by the findings of this trial that suggest possible benefits of both interventions for some cognitive domains. Clearly, we saw a more pronounced effect with exercise, which is notable considering the multiple health benefits of exercise for cancer survivors,” said lead author Michelle C. Janelsins, PhD, MPH, of the University of Rochester and the Wilmot Cancer Institute. “This is one of the first studies specifically designed to assess these interventions for cancer-related cognitive impairment during chemotherapy in patients with multiple diseases using both performance-based cognitive assessments and patient-reported outcomes.”
Dr. Janelsins noted that future studies should consider modifying the duration and dose of both the exercise and low-dose ibuprofen interventions. She also stressed that any intervention for cognitive problems should be discussed with a health care provider to ensure there are no contraindications.
Additional information
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. A free abstract of this article will be available via the CANCER Newsroom upon online publication. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, newsroom@wiley.com
Full Citation:
“Phase II Trial of Exercise and Low-Dose Ibuprofen for Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy.” Michelle C. Janelsins, Riham A. Alieldin, Tyler Holler, Hongying Sun, Po-Ju Lin, Michelle Shayne, Alissa Huston, Kassandra Doyle, Michelle Porto, Mohamedtaki Tejani, Bryan Thompson, Allison Magnuson, Marcia Krebs, Richard F. Dunne, Supriya G. Mohile, Chin-Shang Li, Umang Gada, Ajay Dhakal, Aram F. Hezel, Marcus S. Noel, Alok A. Khorana, Brian D. Yirinec, Nayana Kamath, David W. Dougherty, Tim A. Ahles, Gary R. Morrow, and Karen M. Mustian. CANCER; Published Online: April 20, 2026 (DOI: 10.1002/cncr.70323).
URL Upon Publication: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/cncr.70323
Author Contact: Leslie Orr, Senior Science Editor at the University of Rochester Medical Center, at Leslie_Orr@URMC.Rochester.edu or mediainquiries@urmc.rochester.edu
About the Journal
CANCER is a peer-reviewed publication of the American Cancer Society integrating scientific information from worldwide sources for all oncologic specialties. The objective of CANCER is to provide an interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of information among oncologic disciplines concerned with the etiology, course, and treatment of human cancer. CANCER is published on behalf of the American Cancer Society by Wiley and can be accessed online. Follow CANCER on X @JournalCancer , and stay up to date with the American Cancer Society Journals on Instagram , LinkedIn , and YouTube .
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Cancer
Phase II Trial of Exercise and Low-Dose Ibuprofen for Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy
20-Apr-2026