Pediatric Oncology
Education Materials

Region treated with RT

Long Term Effect

RT to head and neck

Neurocognitive problems:

• Depends on the amount of normal brain included in the RT volume
• Poor short term memory
• Difficulty with executive function

Depression:

• Usually related to multiple long-term health problems and neurocognitive dysfunction

Hearing loss:

• Direct RT related damage to the cochlea

Cataracts:

• Lens of the eye very sensitive to RT
• May have other orbital late effects depending on RT field placement and dose to orbital structures

Pituitary and hypothalamic dysfunction:

• Metabolic syndrome (with hypertension)
• GH deficiency commonest with failure to grow
• TSH deficiency
• LH/FSH deficiency
• ACTH deficiency

Thyroid disease

• Thyroid is very sensitive to the effects of RT
• Increased risk of hypothyroidism and thyroid cancer

Skeletal abnormalities:

• Undergrowth (hypoplasia) in region of RT
• Skeletal structures and soft tissues in RT field likely to be underdeveloped - for example, facial deformity is common after RT for ES of maxillary antrum
• Cosmetic surgery to repair defect in future can be very problematic (high dose RT is characterized by fibrosis and reduced blood supply with impaired healing after trauma or surgery to tissues within the previous RT field)

See link at bottom of page

Skin changes:

• Fibrosis of skin and subcutaneous tissues
• Increased pigmentation
• Telangiectasia over skin surface
• Increased vulnerability to sun related damage
• Increased risk of skin cancer

Vascular disease (early atherosclerosis and fibrosis within blood vessels) with increased risk of:

• Cerebrovascular events if brain included in RT field
• Carotid artery stenosis

Dental disease:

• Damage the parotid glands causes xerostomia - with increased risk of dental decay
• Development of teeth affected (short roots, abnormal enamel)

Second Cancers:

• Increased risk of second neoplasms:

• RT to skull and adjacent brain can be associated with an increased risk of RT induced meningioma
• RT is associated with an increased risk of secondary sarcoma in bone (such as osteogenic sarcoma)

Small bowel toxicity:

• Intestinal strictures and scarring
• Episodes of intestinal obstruction
• Malabsorption

Large bowel toxicity:

• Rectal scarring and stricture
• Telangiectasia and rectal bleeding

Gonadal failure:

• Infertility Gonads are very sensitive to RT and in combination with alkylating agents, ES patients (females and males) are at significantly increased risk of infertility
• Males may require testosterone replacement therapy after high dose RT to groin/inguinal region
• Women are at risk for early menopause and secondary early onset of osteoporosis

Musculoskeletal abnormalities:

• Hypoplasia and undergrowth leading to asymmetry
• Early onset of osteoporosis
• Early onset of osteoarthritis
• Radionecrosis of hip joint if included in RT field
• Increased risk of pelvic fracture

Increased risk of second malignancy within RT field

• Need early screening for colon cancer
• Increased risk of RT induced osteogenic sarcoma

Bladder damage:

• Scarring and contracture
• Increased risk of bladder cancer (RT and cyclophosphamide)

Musculoskeletal abnormalities:

• Hypoplasia of limb and limb length discrepancy after RT to growing child
• Scarring of a portion of limb circumference may lead to lymphedema
• Subsequent increased risk of cellulitis in limb affected by lymphedema
• Reduced ability to heal after trauma or surgery
• Damage to joints with reduced mobility
• Increased risk of bone fracture

Vascular insufficiency:

• After high dose RT there can sometimes be reduced vascular supply to limb with ischemic pain and non-healing ulcers

Gonadal failure:

• Treatment of tumors in the thigh may cause damage to testes
• Infertility
• May require testosterone replacement therapy after high dose RT to groin/inguinal region

Second Cancers:

• Increased risk of second neoplasms especially sarcomas of bone

Cardiac disease:

• RT can be associated with an early delayed pericarditis and long term pericardial fibrosis
• The combination of RT and adriamycin chemotherapy increases the risk of cardiomyopathy
• Valvular disease has been described after moderately high dose mediastinal RT

Pulmonary disease:

• Whole lung RT fields for ES pulmonary metastatic disease may cause significant pulmonary fibrosis

Skeletal abnormalities:

• Undergrowth (hypoplasia) in region of RT causes chest wall deformity with subsequent restrictive pulmonary disease.  This may be severe if a large portion of the chest wall receives ES type RT doses in a growing child
• Significant risk of scoliosis if growing thoracic spine is treated to a moderately high dose RT
• Spine may be shorter after RT (leads to reduced sitting height)

Thyroid disease:

• Thyroid is very sensitive to the effects of RT
• Whole lung RT is associated with significant scatter to the thyroid and risk of hypothyroidism and thyroid cancer

Benign osteochondromas of ribs:

• Rarely if ever undergo malignant transformation

Second Cancers:

• RT to the chest of an adolescent girl is especially likely to be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer in young adult women. Early screening is very important
• Survivors who had lung RT and smoke are far more likely to develop lung cancer
• RT is associated with an increased risk of secondary solid tumors such as sarcomas and AML

Chemotherapy Agent

Long Term Effect

Adriamycin

Cardiomyopathy

• Dose dependent

VP16

(also called Etoposide)

• Secondary AML (short latency period)

Alkylating agent

cyclophosphamide

• Secondary AML

• Hemorrhagic cystitis with long-term increased risk of bladder cancer

• Infertility

• Peripheral neuropathy