title: Long-term complications of adjuvant chemotherapy for early stage breast cancer.
abstract: The benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy for early stage breast cancer must be considered in light of the potential risks and anticipated side effects. When considering a course of adjuvant chemotherapy for a patient, one should not only consider acute side effects of treatment, but should understand the long-term risks of therapy. Sustained or long-term effects of adjuvant chemotherapy usually have either a late onset or a sustained impact--often lasting for many years. In the case of some of the rare long-term complications, many years may elapse before any symptoms develop. This review details sustained and long-term complications of adjuvant chemotherapy including information about risk factors, etiology, and incidence rates for specific complications. Interventions to ameliorate long-term complications are also addressed.
authors.affiliation: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Ann H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Partridge
authors.forename: Eric P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Winer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal