Late effects of cancer treatment in breast cancer survivors

Abstract

Postoperative radiation therapy (RT) and chemotherapy,both reduces the risk of local recurrence and extends overall survival in patients with breast cancer (BC). Concerns have, however, been raised about the risk of acute and chronic side effects in breast cancer survivors as the number of treated individuals is large and their expected survival is long compared to most patients with other malignant diseases. Cardiac toxicity, reproductive dysfunction, pneumonitis (RP),arm lymph edema, neuropathy, skin changes are examples of the wide range of complications that has been associated with adjuvant treatment.