Are the risks of late effects after a transplant different in children as compared to adults?
Yes. Because a child’s body is still developing, the effects of radiation and chemotherapy, whether used directly to treat the disease or as part of the transplant, can cause long-term problems not faced by adult transplant patients. Cells that are growing rapidly are more prone to damage from these treatments. This damage can impair the body’s ability to develop normally. Also, patients living a normal life span have a longer period of time to develop other late effects, such as secondary cancers, as compared to patients transplanted later in life. For more information on the effects of childhood cancer treatment, see: Childhood Cancer: Late Effects of Cancer Treatment from the American Cancer Society. For post-transplant follow-up recommendations, see: General Long-Term Follow-Up Recommnedations for Pediatric Patients from SCCA/FHCRC.
