Between 1996 and 2002, 49 percent of people diagnosed with leukemia lived for at least five years after their diagnosis (“Leukemia Facts and Statistics”). Even though this is much higher than the 14 percent survival rate between 1960 and 1963, surviving the cancer is not the end of their problems. As more people are surviving longer, researchers are discovering additional long term side effects from leukemia treatments. Developing new cancers, increased risk of infection, heart problems, and sexual development problems are just some of the possible side effects leukemia survivors should be prepared for (“Late Effects of Treatment for Childhood Cancer”). The side effects from the treatment of leukemia can stay with cancer survivors for the rest of their lives and create many new medical issues they will have to deal with.
Leukemia is a cancer of the blood which develops in the bone marrow, which is the sponge-like material inside of bones causing the white blood cells, which are supposed to fight infection, not to mature correctly, making them useless in fighting against infections. The cells also reproduce continuously even when there is no space for them, taking the space from healthy cells and therefore preventing them from forming. Leukemia is the most common type of childhood cancer and therefore has the most long term survivors (“Leukemia”). There are many ways to treat leukemia: chemotherapy, radiation, bone marrow transplants, medications, and more, each treatment method has different long term and short term side effects. (“Treatment for leukemia”).
One of the most feared side effects from leukemia treatment is developing a new cancer or the old cancer recurring. The same treatments that are designed to help patients survive cancers can also cause cancers to form. The large doses of treatments, chemotherapy, using drugs that can destroy cancer cells, or radiation therapy, using high concentrations of radiation to stop cancer cells from reproducing, given to cancer patients makes them more vulnerable to developing future cancers than other people who haven’t undergone the intensive treatments for cancer (“Chemotherapy and You: A Guide to Self-Help During Cancer Treatment”) (“Introduction to Cancer Therapy (Radiation Oncology)”). In fact, radiation treatment and chemotherapy are known to increase the risk of developing cancer, but there is not much known about how other treatment options affect a patient’s chances of developing another cancer and more research is still being done in that area (“Long term side effects of chemotherapy”).
Lowered resistance to infection is another side effect of cancer treatments. Chemotherapy uses medications to kill cancer cells, but they also kill healthy cells, weakening patients’ bodies and making them less effective at fighting off infection, small problems like a cold or the flu could cause much more damage to someone who has recently undergone chemotherapy treatment. Their bodies usually regain the ability to fight off infections again within a few months, but it can take longer, and patients must be careful to avoid disease during this time (“Coping with Side Effects” “Chemotherapy and You: A Guide to Self-Help during Cancer Treatment”). They should remain mostly isolated to avoid contact with germs. Eating well during treatment is important as well; a healthy diet will help a patient’s body regain its strength and be better able to fight off infections and diseases (“Take Care of Yourself” “Chemotherapy and You: A Guide to Self-Help during Cancer Treatment”).
Cardiovascular side effects are another serious side effect of treatments for leukemia. Cancer survivors who have been treated with chemotherapy or radiation have a much higher risks of developing serious cardiac problems. One of these problems is cardiomyopathy, which is a disease when the heart “becomes inflamed and doesn’t work as well as it should” (“Cardiomyopathy”). There is a high risk for long term cancer survivors, about 15 years after treatment, to contract this disease. Because, until recently, there have been only a few survivors who lived 15 years, these studies are just beginning and not much is known about the cause of this increased risk. Cancer survivors should have regular echocardiograms to look for symptoms of cardiomyopathy and other heart problems they are at risk for due to the treatments they had (“Childhood Cancer Survivors May Experience Heart Problems Sooner”).
One more side effect of leukemia treatment is problems with sexual development. While it is not very common, radiation in men can affect the testosterone levels and cause a delayed or an accelerated puberty and radiation in the area of the brain in women can also cause an early puberty. Another sexual development side effect is that it can be harder for cancer survivors to produce children because of the effects of the treatment on their bodies, radiation can cause damage to reproductive organs and/or the brain; however, it is not impossible and there are more advancements being made to help repair the damage caused by treatment. There are currently no known risks to the children of cancer survivors though there are studies being done to determine if there is a link between children of cancer survivors and inborn abnormalities. According to Adriana Richards, a cancer information specialist with the National Cancer Institute, “cancer is not hereditary” and there is no risk of passing on cancer or the risk of cancer to survivor’s children. The risk of future problems with sexual development is greatly reduced in children who are younger when they are treated because their bodies are still developing and it is easier for them to repair the damage done by the radiation (“Childhood Cancer: Late Effects of Cancer Treatment”) (“Long Term and Late Effects of Treatment for Blood Cancers”).
Even after surviving leukemia, patients will still have many medical concerns throughout their lives. It is essential that cancer survivors have medical check ups regularly to help notice the late appearing side effects they may have, and to treat them quickly. Repeat cancers, increased vulnerability to infections, heart problems, and sexual development issues are only some of the many long term side effects survivors must be aware of. Surviving leukemia is just the beginning, more side effects are being found all the time and there is no way for the survivors to be prepared for what new problems they will have to face.
Reference:
- “Cardiomyopathy.” American Heart Association. 2007. American Heart Association. 22 Apr. 2007 .
