TriangleFOR PATIENTS · SOURCE READING
Side effects and late effects of treatment
Source: Kidney Cancer in Children (PDQ®)–Patient Version, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: May 13, 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.
Cancer treatments can cause side effects. Which side effects your child has depends on the type of treatment they receive, the dose, and how their body reacts. Talk with your child's treatment team about which side effects to look for and ways to manage them.
To learn more about side effects that begin during treatment for cancer, visit Side Effects.
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Problems from cancer treatment that begin 6 months or later after treatment and continue for months or years are called late effects. Late effects of cancer treatment may include:
physical problems, such as trouble with exercise, mobility, strength, and flexibility
chronic health conditions that could affect the heart, lungs, kidneys, intestines, and hormone levels
infertility or problems during pregnancy including high blood pressure, early labor, or the baby being in an unusual position as birth approaches
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neurological symptoms, such as changes in mood, feelings, thinking, learning, or memory
second cancers (new types of cancer), such as leukemias, thyroid cancer, cancer of the gastrointestinal tract, breast cancer, or skin cancer
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Some late effects may be treated or controlled. It is important to talk with your child's doctors about the effects cancer treatment can have on your child. Learn more about Late Effects of Treatment for Childhood Cancer.
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Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice