Key Points for This Section

Teeth and jaw Childhood cancer survivors may have late effects that affect the teeth and jaw. Certain factors increase the risk that teeth and jaw late effects will occur. Teeth and jaw late effects may be caused by treatment for certain childhood cancers. Liver Childhood cancer survivors may have late effects that affect the liver. Certain factors increase the risk that liver late effects will occur. Liver late effects may be caused by treatment for certain childhood cancers. Digestive tract Childhood cancer survivors may have late effects that affect the digestive tract. Radiation therapy to the abdomen may damage blood vessels and increase the risk of digestive tract late effects. Digestive tract late effects may be caused by treatment for certain childhood cancers.

Teeth and jaw

Childhood cancer survivors may have late effects that affect the teeth and jaw.

Teeth and jaw late effects may include the following:

• Teeth are small or do not have a normal shape.
• The roots of the teeth are short.
• Missing teeth.
• New teeth come in at a later than normal age.
• The head and face do not reach full growth.
• Tooth enamel is not normal.
• Salivary glands do not make enough saliva.
• Tooth decay (including cavities) and gum disease.

Certain factors increase the risk that teeth and jaw late effects will occur.

The risk of teeth and jaw late effects may be increased in childhood cancer survivors who received any of the following:

• Radiation therapy to the head and neck.
• Chemotherapy to treat leukemia.
• High-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplant and total-body irradiation (TBI) to treat neuroblastoma.

Risk may also be increased in survivors who were younger than 3 years at the time of treatment.

It is important that childhood cancer survivors have regular dental checkups to help prevent or detect infection or decay.

Teeth and jaw late effects may be caused by treatment for certain childhood cancers.

Treatment for these and other childhood cancers may cause teeth and jaw late effects:

• Central nervous system (CNS) leukemia.
• Neuroblastoma.
• Hodgkin lymphoma.
• Head and neck cancers.
• Nasopharyngeal cancer.

Liver

Childhood cancer survivors may have late effects that affect the liver.

Liver late effects may include the following:

• Hepatic fibrosis (an overgrowth of connective tissue in the liver).
• Liver failure.
• Portal hypertension.
• Hepatitis C infection.
• Permanent liver damage caused by veno-occlusive disease.

Hepatic fibrosis, hepatitis C infection, and veno-occlusive disease can cause long-term problems.

Certain factors increase the risk that liver late effects will occur.

The risk of liver late effects may be increased in childhood cancer survivors who received any of the following:

• A blood transfusion before 1992.
• Radiation therapy together with chemotherapy.
• Chemotherapy with thioguanine to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Risk may also be increased in survivors who had liver disease before treatment or developed veno-occlusive disease during treatment.

Liver late effects may be caused by treatment for certain childhood cancers.

Treatment for these and other childhood cancers may cause liver late effects:

• Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
• Neuroblastoma.
• Wilms tumor.

Digestive tract

Childhood cancer survivors may have late effects that affect the digestive tract.

Digestive tract late effects may include the following:

• Ulcers.
• Bowel perforation (a hole in the intestine).
• Pain in the abdomen.
• Inability of the intestine to absorb nutrients from food.
• A narrowing of the intestine.
• Blocked bowel (chronic).
• Infection.
• Diarrhea (chronic).

These effects may be caused by damage to the blood vessels, which may lead to long-term problems.

Radiation therapy to the abdomen may damage blood vessels and increase the risk of digestive tract late effects.

Digestive tract late effects may be caused by treatment for certain childhood cancers.

Treatment for these and other childhood cancers may cause digestive tract late effects:

• Paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma.
• Wilms tumor.

Back to Top

< Previous Section  |  Next Section >