The number of infants who win the battle against the cancer has increased dramatically during the last 10 years, says Dr. James G. Gurney and colleagues in a study published in the "The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism" in 2003. Unfortunately, radiation therapy causes side effects in many of these children. Most commonly these side effects fade away after the treatments have ended, but some linger for years and can even become permanent.
Short-Term Side Effects in Infants
The National Cancer Institute states that the short-term side effects of radiation usually begin during the radiation therapy and the symptoms gradually disappear within a few months after the treatments have ended. Typically the side effects are more severe if the radiation dosage has been substantial and if the treated area has been large. MayoClinic.com also states that the side effects are usually more severe in young children and infants. Common side effects in infants include such skin reactions such as dryness, redness, and peeling. An infant may also suffer from nausea and vomiting.
Growth and Development
Radiation may have an effect on the growth of the child. The Gurney study found that the younger the child is during the radiation therapy, the greater the effects on the child's development and growth typically are. The study showed that people who have received radiation therapy as children tend to be significantly shorter and weight considerably less than people who have not received radiation.
General Late Effects
Some patients get late side effects even years after the radiation therapy has ended, according to the Caring4Cancer.com. People who have received radiation as infants might suffer from infertility, memory loss, bleeding, tooth decay, intestinal problems, or chronic diarrhea. Some develop other cancer types that are unrelated to the first, primary cancer. These general late effects can appear regardless of the part of the body that received radiation.
Cardiovascular Conditions
A study reported by Gurney and colleagues in the February 2003 edition of the journal "Cancer" demonstrated that the survivors of pediatric cancer frequently have such cardiovascular conditions as blood clots, strokes, and angina-like symptoms. Such late effects are especially common if the patient has received radiation to his head or chest. Due to this significantly increased risk for cardiovascular diseases, the authors recommend that all the survivors of pediatric brain and chest cancer should be followed for the rest of their lives for these conditions.
Lung Conditions
Dr. Ann C. Mertens and her colleagues reported in the December 2002 issue of "Cancer Journal" that the pediatric cancer survivors had an increased risk for numerous lung diseases regardless of the type of cancer that they had had. The authors stated that these late effects were likely to be caused by an early exposure to radiation. Among the most frequent conditions in these patients were recurrent pneumonia, lung fibrosis, abnormal chest wall, chronic cough, exercise-induced shortness of breath, and recurrent sinus infections. These conditions were even more common if the patient has received radiation to the chest.
References
- "The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism"; Final Height and Body Mass Index among Adult Survivors of Childhood Brain Cancer; J. G. Gurney et al.; 2003
- MayoClinic.com: Cancer survivors--Managing Late Effects of Cancer Treatment
- Caring4Cancer.com: Side Effects of Radiation Therapy
- "Cancer"; Endocrine and Cardiovascular Late Effects Among Adult Survivors of Childhood Brain Tumors; James G. Gurney et al.; February 2003
- "Cancer": Pulmonary complications in survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer; Ann C. Mertens et al.; Nov. 15, 2002
