lymphoma cancer surviv | LONG-term effects and late effects affecting CANCER survivors

LONG-term effects and late effects affecting CANCER survivors




IMPRIMERGLOSSAIRE after their treatment, the survivors of a blood cancer do not all experience long-term side effects or significant late-onset effects. If necessary, some long-term effects, such as fatigue, may persist for months or even years after treatment is completed. Late effects, including some illnesses such as a heart condition or the onset of secondary cancer, only occur for years after the cessation of treatment. These effects can be both light and severe.

Ask your doctor what long-term effects or late effects might affect you. The risk of such effects may vary depending on:

The type and duration of your treatment
Your age at the time of treatment
Your sex
Your general health.
Nature of long-term effects and possible late effects
Cognitive effects
Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy can have an impact on how the brain works, hence problems of concentration, memory disorders and the inability to do several things at the same Time. We often talk about mental fatigue or cognitive dysfunction to refer to this type of problem.

Psychological effects
Long-term psychological effects (depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc.) can occur after treatments have been completed.

Physical effects
Chemotherapy and other drug therapies

Depending on the type and duration of the treatments and your personal risk factors such as your genetic background and general health, you may be at risk of the following problems:

Cardiac lesions or disorders (chronic heart failure or heart muscle lesion);
thyroid problems;
Pulmonary lesions (scarification, inflammation, acute respiratory distress syndrome or pulmonary insufficiency);
Infertility, including early ovarian deficiency and premature menopause in women and low levels of testosterone and low sperm concentration in humans;
Osteoporosis (low bone density);
Hearing Loss
Cataracts
Secondary cancers (e.g. acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes);
Peripheral neuropathy;
Immune system deficiency.
Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy uses ionizing radiation to destroy cancer cells. This is why survivors of cancer who have received radiation therapy at the head and neck may have side effects such as:

hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism;
Hearing Loss
Vision problems (cataracts, glaucoma, etc.);
Dental abnormalities, including cavities and dryness of the mouth;
thyroid or brain cancer
Osteoporosis (low bone density).
Chest radiation can cause:

Pulmonary lesions (scarification, inflammation, breathing difficulties);
Cardiac disorders (scarification, inflammation, coronary artery disease);
Osteosarcoma (bone cancer);
Breast cancer
thyroid gland cancer
hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.
Women under the age of 30 who have undergone radiation treatment in the chest area may have breast cancer within 15 to 20 years of treatment. If they have received treatment before they are 21 years of age, they are at a significantly higher risk and should therefore have an annual mammogram and a clinical breast examination twice a year, 10 years after completing their treatment.

Radiation can also affect fertility, both in men and women. Total body irradiation of the person undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation may cause ovarian or testicular deficiency, resulting in some fertility problems. The spleen subjected to high dose radiotherapy may also increase the risk of disseminating bacterial infections.

Impact on daily activities
The cognitive, psychological and physical effects of cancer treatment can also have an impact on daily life.

Support is provided to cancer patients and survivors who may face the following problems:

Discrimination at work
Difficulty obtaining life insurance or health insurance
Financial problems
social or relational difficulties;
Lack of medical follow-up.
To go further
Download or order the free documentation provided by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada:
Long-term and Late effects of treatment in adults facts (soon available in French)
Long term and Late effects of treatment for Childhood Leukemia or Lymphoma facts (soon available in French)

Managing LONG-term effects and late effects
IMPRIMERGLOSSAIRE in many cases, it is possible to manage the long-term effects and late effects of treatment. Work with your doctor and follow these tips to protect yourself as much as possible from these effects:

Note the various physical and emotional symptoms you feel and talk to your healthcare team.
Carefully classify all of your medical information, including dates and locations where you received your cancer treatments, medications and supportive care received (e.g., blood transfusions) and the exact doses and sites of Radiation treatment. Also keep copies of your diagnostic imaging results as well as blood and bone marrow analyses (MRI, scans, X-rays).
Have a good lifestyle: exercise regularly, use sunscreen and eat healthily. Do not smoke or make use of tobacco. If you smoke, ask your healthcare team to help you quit.
Go to your follow-up appointments.
Continue to inform you. Ask your healthcare team to provide you with the latest information on the long-term effects and late effects of cancer treatment. or call our information specialists.
Current research
Researchers are working to better understand the long-term effects and late effects of treatments and to create guidelines for follow-up care. If you would like to contribute to this important research, ask to participate in a clinical trial that collects data on long-term effects and late effects.