How to Manage Late Effects of Chemotherapy Drugs

Once a cancer patient’s treatments have ended, there is still a chance that he or she can experience side effects. Some side effects can continue after treatment or surface months or years after treatment. There is not a lot of concrete information that is known about cancer treatment side effects, but they can vary by treatment type and individual circumstances. 
 
Physicians aren’t sure why these effects occur late. Some doctors think the side effects may have been there during treatment, but they weren’t noticed because the body was counteracting them and after treatment the body no longer does this, thus they begin to emerge later. 
 
Side effects that are apparent during cancer treatment can continue to last months or years afterward. Most long-term effects reduce over time or completely disappear. An example of a long-term side effect is peripheral neuropathy. It can occur during chemotherapy treatment and continue months or years after treatment has been completed. 
 
What Chemotherapy Treatments Cause Late Side Effects? 
 
In general, chemotherapy treatments are more likely to cause late effects than other types of cancer treatments. Not all cancer patients may experience long-term or late effects and different chemotherapy drugs may cause various effects. 
 
Some of the following are long-term side effects from chemotherapy treatment: 
 
 

  • fatigue 
  • neuropathy 
  • chemobrain 
  • heart failure 
  • kidney failure 
  • infertility 
  • liver problems 
  • menopausal symptoms 

 
Some of the following are late side effects from chemotherapy treatment: 
 

  • cataracts 
  • osteoporosis 
  • chemobrain 
  • reduced lung capacity 
  • lung disease 
  • infertility 
  • liver problems 
  • second primary cancers 
     
     
     

More Information About Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects 
 
If cancer patients need more information, or have questions on how to manage chemotherapy side effects, they can contact The American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345, or read an online booklet, Understanding Chemotherapy: A Guide for Patients and their Families, at the following web address: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/ETO_1_5x_Guide_for_Patients_and_Families.asp