MDA: I Never Knew There Were 'Late Effects'

The very treatment that helps you get rid of cancer may be a "gift that keeps on giving," causing problems in the future just when you thought you were safe.

By: Dawn Dorsey | Source: The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center | June 14, 2006

As more people are surviving cancer, more problems are popping up years after treatment. The cancer may come back or cause lingering effects. And many of the treatments used for cancer are toxic and can cause issues down the road.

Chemotherapy may:

• Damage the kidneys, lungs, and heart
• Affect the nervous system, causing numbness or tingling in hands or feet
• Cause cognitive or personality changes
• Trigger another cancer years later

Radiation can create: 

• Problems in tissues or glands in surrounding areas
• Scarring and/or hardening of tissue, blood vessels, or lungs
• Erectile dysfunction
• Heart problems
• Brain necrosis, or death of tissue
• Other types of cancer, including leukemia and solid tumors

Once you pass the five-year survival mark, you'll probably stop seeing your cancer doctor and return to your primary-care doctor. Your primary-care doctor may know little of your cancer experience, so for your long-term health and well being, it's crucial to develop a personal, written follow-up plan with your cancer doctor before returning to a primary-care setting.

Your individual plan should include:

• Your cancer diagnosis
• Treatment details (including timing, dosage, and duration of chemotherapy or other methods)
• Potential side effects of the cancer and treatment
• Recommendations for frequency of follow-up visits 
• Tests to be performed during appointments
• Tips for staying healthy and preventing recurrences or secondary cancers
• Possible late effects of your cancer and treatment

Once you're back to "normal," be sure to follow your doctor's guidelines for checkups and other care. In addition, make your best efforts to live a healthy life: Get plenty of exercise, minimize stress, and eat a healthful diet.

Though cancer treatment has the potential to cause late effects, the benefits of treatment typically outweigh any possible problems. And every day, scientists are hard at work making treatments less toxic and discovering new ways to deal with the effects of cancer treatment.

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