Smart drugs are referred to as nootropics or cognitive enhancers, such as Provigil, Nuvigil, Namenda, Arcalion, Ritalin, Adderall, etc.
Provigil (modafinil), in particular, has been found effective at treating cancer-related fatigue.
In 2008, Dr. Gary Morrow of the University of Rochester, New York, said, “A majority of cancer patients expect to be fatigued and unfortunately they are right. Modafinil appears to be useful to treat severe fatigue.”
Nearly 60% of cancer patients have fatigue, either due to the disease or due to the side effects of cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Constant fatigue in cancer patients could affect the quality of life. Apart from chemotherapy and radiation therapy, doctors advise other drugs to cope with the side effects, such as antidepressants and even smart drugs like modafinil.
A study, presented at the 2008 American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting, showed that modafinil was able to help overcome fatigue caused by cancer.
The authors wrote, “Occasionally, a reversible cause, such as anemia is discovered, and with treatment, the patient experiences significant improvement. However, when several factors account for the fatigue, doctors often used a multimodality approach. Provigil (modafinil) may be warranted.”
One study conducted by Germany researchers concluded that the ability of Provigil to “improve brain skills and alertness are worth pursuing for cancer patients,” according to Modafinil Facts.
Smart drugs like modafinil and armodafinil are psycho-stimulant agents that are used to treat excessive sleepiness caused by narcolepsy, sleep apnea, or shift work sleep disorders.
However, it is important to note that nootropics do not have a direct effect on cancer cells. They have no role to play in treating or preventing cancer.
Smart drugs that act on your cognition may be advised to treat cancer-related fatigue or weakness. Nootropics have also been found effective in treating cancer-related narcolepsy.
Another common symptom found in some cancer patients is insomnia, especially in cancer survivors. Researchers are trying to figure out whether cancer-related insomnia can be treated with smart drugs.
Right now, cancer-related narcolepsy or sleepiness can be treated with Provigil. It could be one of the better tools to treat fatigue caused by cancer or cancer treatments.
The U.S. government has been funding research into FDA-approved smart drugs to improve the quality of life of cancer patients rather than treating cancer itself with nootropics.
