Lungs & Kidneys

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

Lung late effects may include the following:

  • Shortness of breath.
  • Cough (chronic).
  • Pulmonary fibrosis (the build-up of scar tissue in the lung).
  • Pneumonia (chronic).
  • Inflamed lungs or pleura.

Certain factors increase the risk that lung problems will occur.

The risk of lung late effects may be increased in childhood cancer survivors who had either of the following:

  • Infections or graft-versus-host disease after a bone marrow transplant.
  • Lung disease, such as asthma, before cancer treatment.

Risk may also be increased in survivors who received any of the following:

  • Certain anticancer drugs, such as bleomycin or doxorubicin.
  • Radiation therapy to the chest.
  • Stem cell transplant.

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

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

  • Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
  • Hodgkin lymphoma.
  • Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
  • Wilms tumor.

Kidney

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

Kidney late effects may include the following:

  • Renal tubular acidosis.
  • Fanconi syndrome.
  • Kidney failure.
  • Hypertension (high blood pressure).

Certain factors increase the risk that kidney problems will occur.

The following may increase the risk of kidney late effects:

  • Having cancer in both kidneys.
  • Being young at the time of treatment (the younger the child, the greater the risk).
  • Having a genetic syndrome that increases the risk of kidney problems, such as Denys-Drash syndrome.

Risk may also be increased in childhood cancer survivors who received any of the following:

  • Certain anticancer drugs, such as cisplatin, carboplatin, or ifosfamide.
  • Certain antibiotics or antifungal drugs.
  • Radiation therapy to the kidney or areas near the kidney.

Kidney late effects may be caused by treatment for Wilms’ tumor and other childhood cancers.

The Web site of the National Cancer Institute (http://www.cancer.gov)

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