Surgery, radiation therapy, and certain types of chemotherapy increase the risk of late effects that affect the reproductive system.

Source: Late Effects of Treatment for Childhood Cancer (PDQ®)–Patient Version, National Cancer Institute.

Source updated: February 12, 2025 · Captured 2026-09-09.

Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary. Independent clinical review is pending.

The risk of health problems that affect the reproductive system increases after treatment with:

surgery, such as the removal of a testicle, part of the prostate, lymph nodes in the abdomen, or one or both ovaries

Source links and citations

chemotherapy with alkylating agents, such as cyclophosphamide, dacarbazine, procarbazine, ifosfamide, mechlorethamine, cisplatin, lomustine, and busulfan

Source links and citations

radiation therapy to the abdomen, pelvis, lower back, testicles, ovaries, uterus, or in the area of the hypothalamus in the brain

Source links and citations

total-body irradiation, high-dose chemotherapy, or both before a stem cell transplant

radiation therapy to the abdomen or pelvis with alkylating agents

In female survivors who had radiation therapy to the abdomen, the damage to the ovaries depends on the radiation dose, age at the time of treatment, and whether all or part of the abdomen received radiation.

Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice