Late Effects of Treatment for Childhood Cancer PDQ®

In brief

NCI's evidence-based clinical reference for healthcare professionals managing long-term complications in childhood cancer survivors. Covers organ-specific toxicities, secondary malignancies, and surveillance strategies following chemotherapy, radiation, and surgical interventions.

• Childhood cancer survivors face long-term health risks from treatment including cardiac, pulmonary, and endocrine complications.
• Radiation therapy increases risk of secondary malignancies, with latency periods often exceeding 10-20 years post-treatment.
• Anthracycline chemotherapy causes dose-dependent cardiotoxicity requiring lifelong cardiac surveillance in survivors.
• Neurocognitive deficits from CNS-directed therapy may not manifest until years after treatment completion.
• Survivorship care plans should address fertility preservation, growth monitoring, and psychosocial support needs.

Written by the GCMD Library team from the guideline.