There are an estimated 12 million cancer survivors in the United States who are living beyond their doctors’ predictions, thanks to a combination of cutting-edge chemotherapy drugs, excellent treatment, and improved screening measures. However, cancer survivors face unique challenges related to their treatment after cancer and need to stay alert to possible late side effects from chemotherapy and/or radiation. It’s important to talk to your doctor about proper screening for late side effects of cancer treatment for the rest of your life. Here is a list of possible tests that you might need depending on the type of treatment you received for your cancer:
1. Regular echocardiograms. Patients who received radiation to the chest wall and/or received high doses of chemotherapy, especially with a class of drugs called anthracyclines (such as doxorubicin), should have yearly echocardiograms to check for any heart damage related to treatment.
2. Regular mammograms. If you are a survivor of childhood cancer and received high doses of radiation to the chest wall, you may need to start mammograms at an earlier age. Secondary cancers related to primary treatment are always a possibility, especially with radiation to the chest wall. Breast cancer is one of the possible secondary cancers that can develop. Discuss with your primary care physician or oncologist about the possibility of screening mammograms beginning at an earlier age. If you are a survivor of breast cancer, screening mammograms should be number one on your priority list every year. Read the full story
