TriangleFOR PATIENTS · SOURCE READING
Radiation therapy increases the risk of weight changes and frailty.
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 being underweight increases after treatment with:
TBI for females
radiation therapy to the abdomen for males
certain types of chemotherapy (alkylating agents and anthracyclines)
The following may also increase the risk of being underweight:
being female
having a low household income
having a chronic illness
The risk of having excess body weight or obesity increases after treatment with:
Source links and citations
radiation therapy to the brain
surgery that damages the hypothalamus or pituitary gland, such as surgery to remove a craniopharyngioma brain tumor
The following may also increase the risk of obesity:
having excess body weight at the time of a cancer diagnosis
being diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 5 and 9
being female
having growth hormone deficiency or low levels of the hormone leptin
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lack of physical activity
taking an antidepressant called paroxetine
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Childhood cancer survivors who get enough exercise and have a normal amount of anxiety have a lower risk of obesity.
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The risk of frailty increases after treatment with:
radiation therapy to the brain
TBI
Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice