The Late Side Effects of Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is used to treat many different types of cancers. This is because the chemotherapy kills the bad cancer cells in your body. The problem is that it also kills the good cells in your body at the same time. This causes many unpleasant side effects for cancer sufferers. Some of these side effects can last long after the chemotherapy has ended.

Time Frame

• The late effects of chemotherapy can begin to surface a few weeks after the treatment has ended. The effects can also wait until a few years after the treatment to surface. There is no way to tell if or when the side effects will show up.

Long-Term Effects

• Chemotherapy can cause several health problems that arise and last for a long time. These include chronic fatigue, liver problems, heart failure, kidney failure, infertility and symptoms of menopause.

Delayed Effects

• Some effects of the chemotherapy don't show up until months or years down the road. These include lung disease, cataracts, osteoporosis, infertility and second forms of cancer.

Considerations

• Chemotherapy can cause additional late side effects in children who have been treated for cancer. Children may experience a stunt in their growth, obesity, learning disabilities, problems with their memory, vision loss, hearing loss and even an risk for a second cancer.

Warning

• When deciding whether or not to begin chemotherapy, one must weigh the benefits against the risks. Potential side effects may be worth the risk if your life is in danger.