Dr. Daniel Silverman, a leading researcher and co-author of "Your Brain on Chemo" joins The New York Times for a brief column and explanation of the effects of chemotherapy and patients with Alzheimer's disease.

In responding to a reader's question, Dr. Silverman writes that, "there is no evidence of (people getting Alzheimer's from chemotherapy) in any direct sense. Chemotherapy does not appear to cause the same biochemical changes in the brain that are found in Alzheimer's disease."

However, Dr. Silverman contends that, for those patients who might already show "incipient symptoms" of Alzheimer's disease might experience an expedited oncoming of the degenerative disease after undergoing chemotherapy. On top of that, the doctor writes that, "evidence is emerging that in people who are already at increased risk of developing Alzheimrer's, loss of estrogen can hasten the decline of metabolism in areas of the brain that are typically most affected by the disease. May of the therapeutic regimens for breast and ovarian cancers lead to decreases in estrogen levels in women."

So what does this mean? What considerations should doctors and payers take when recommending chemotherapy for patients with family history of Alzheimer's? Do we treat for cancer or prevent Alzheimer's? Click on the article below to find out what Dr. Silverman thinks: http://consults.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/17/a-writer-with-chemo-brain-and-attention-deficit-disorder/?ref=health