Cancer Treatment and Effects

Where can I find out more about cancer aftereffects?
For more information about cancer aftereffects, including suggestions for taking action and a list of resources, visit the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Why is knowing about the aftereffects of cancer treatment important to a person affected by cancer?
The idea of aftereffects may be new to you. Much less is known about aftereffects than about side effects during treatment; however, ongoing research is actively exploring this area. Not all health care professionals talk to newly diagnosed survivors or those undergoing treatment about what to expect after treatment ends. When you don’t know what to look for, new symptoms can be very confusing and even frightening.

What do I need to know about cancer aftereffects?
Aftereffects can be described as long-term or late effects of cancer treatment.

Long-term effects develop during treatment, are lingering or chronic (do not go away) and continue after treatments are over. Many long-term effects improve or resolve with time, such as anemia, fatigue and anxiety (feeling worried). Some long-term effects are permanent, such as limb loss, some types of limb weakness or nerve damage.

Late effects are delayed and can surface months to years after treatment ends. Usually, the earlier these problems are identified, the easier they are to treat. Some late effects are long-lasting or permanent, such as certain types of heart disease or lung disease, lymphedema (swelling in a limb due to blockage of the lymph system), osteoporosis, depression and second cancers.

There are three different categories of aftereffects:
• Physical (such as scars from multiple surgeries, loss of limbs or fatigue)
• Emotional (such as anxiety or depression)
• Practical (such as problems with employment or health insurance)

Aftereffects can range from very mild to very serious and will vary from one survivor to the next. Doctors cannot always predict which aftereffects, if any, will occur, or how serious or long-lasting they will be. You may not suffer any significant aftereffects at all.

What steps should I take to address cancer aftereffects?
Even though talking about aftereffects can be upsetting, you have a right to know what is happening or going to happen to your body. Knowing what to expect helps you to make decisions that are right for you, plan for the future and regain a sense of control over your life. Talking with health care team members is an important way for you to learn about possible aftereffects of specific treatments. This communication also helps to educate health care team members about important quality of life issues that can affect you. Much of what health care professionals know about survivorship topics comes directly from survivors themselves.

Health care team members should help you in the following ways:
• Provide information and resources on your specific type of cancer
• Describe risk factors and potential aftereffects
• Help you understand and manage aftereffects
• Help you understand which doctors you should see for routine follow-up visits or if certain symptoms or problems develop (oncologist, general practitioner, etc.)
• Create a follow-up health plan when treatment ends. This plan will help you:
o Know what symptoms to look for
o Know how to reduce the risk of certain aftereffects
o Understand your risk of secondary cancer
o Know how often to see your health care team

You can work with your health care team in the following ways:
• Keep a record of your symptoms and discuss them with your health care team
• Ask questions when you don’t understand something
• Follow any agreed-upon treatment plans for aftereffects
• Read about aftereffects on your own and bring that information to your health care team visits

Remember that even if you are no longer seeing your cancer health care team, you can discuss these issues with any health care professional.