Childhood Leukemia Chemotherapy Side Effects

However your medical team will be with you always and if your side effects are serious they will lower your dose and do anything that helps you feel better.

Childhood leukemia chemotherapy side effects.

Dealing with side effects can be very difficult. Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy can cause problems with mental functions such as concentration memory and the ability to multitask to keep track of and do different tasks at the same time. It is normal to feel frustrated sad angry embarrassed or self conscious. Some common side effects of chemotherapy drugs used for childhood leukemia are.

Sometimes weeks or months later. These side effects can include. These problems are known as cognitive late effects. However cognitive problems have been.

Most people associate cancer treatment with well known side effects like nausea and hair loss. These side effects may occur within days after beginning chemotherapy treatment. Hair loss mouth sores loss of appetite diarrhea nausea and vomiting. Late effects of treatments for childhood leukemia.

These effects are sometimes referred to as chemobrain or brain fog. Children treated for brain tumors or acute lymphoblastic leukemia all are more likely to be affected due to the therapies used to treat these cancers. In some cases however side effects follow a different. A child s whole body is growing.

Long term and late effects can include. These short term side effects usually go away over time after treatment is over. Side effects of chemotherapy will depend mainly on the type of drug the dose how it s given and your child s overall health. Learning problems can develop in children treated with high dose chemotherapy or intrathecal chemotherapy with methotrexate or.

She published a research paper in september last year showing that childhood all survivors are more likely to have difficulties with memory and inhibition or voluntary restraint of motor actions than children who have not had leukemia. Dr van der plas specializes in looking at the neurocognitive effects of childhood leukemia treatment. Some side effects can be hard to discuss. These problems may become noticeable months or even years after treatment and may change over time.

Coping with side effects. Many of these stop when treatment stops. However chemotherapy side effects typically cause fear and apprehension. Late effects on the other hand may happen many years later.