TriangleFOR PATIENTS · SOURCE READING
Cancer treatments and surgery to remove the spleen increase the risk of immune system late effects.
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 immune system increases after treatment that affects the spleen, including:
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surgery to remove the spleen
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high-dose radiation therapy to the spleen that causes the spleen to stop working
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stem cell transplant followed by graft-versus-host disease that causes the spleen to stop working
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The risk of health problems that affect the immune system may increase after treatment with:
chemotherapy
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radiation therapy
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stem cell transplant with or without graft-versus-host disease
Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice