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Late Effects of Treatment for Childhood Cancer (PDQ®)

Patient Version
Last Modified: 01/11/2012

Immune System

Key Points for This Section


Surgery to remove the spleen increases the risk of immune system late effects.

The risk of health problems that affect the immune system increases after treatment with the following:

Late effects that affect the immune system may cause infection.

Late effects that affect the immune system may increase the risk of very serious bacterial infections. These symptoms may be caused by infection:

  • Redness, swelling, or warmth of a part of the body.
  • Pain that is in one part of the body, such as the eye, ear, or throat.
  • Fever.

An infection may cause other symptoms that depend on the part of the body affected. For example, a lung infection may cause a cough and thick mucus.

Children who have had their spleen removed may need antibiotics to prevent infection.

Taking daily antibiotics for at least 2 to 3 years after splenectomy or until at least 5 years of age for young children may be recommended. At the first sign of fever (temperature over 101.5°F or 38.5°C), it is important to have prompt medical care and be treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics should also be given before dental work to prevent infection.

In addition, children at risk should be vaccinated against the following:

  • Pneumococcal disease (for children aged 10 years and older and more than 5 years after last dose).
  • Meningococcal disease.
  • Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) disease.

Talk to your child's doctor about whether other childhood vaccinations need to be repeated.



Glossary Terms

antibiotic (AN-tee-by-AH-tik)
A drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms.
bacteria (bak-TEER-ee-uh)
A large group of single-cell microorganisms. Some cause infections and disease in animals and humans. The singular of bacteria is bacterium.
dose (dose)
The amount of medicine taken, or radiation given, at one time.
fever (FEE-ver)
An increase in body temperature above normal (98.6 degrees F), usually caused by disease.
graft-versus-host disease (... dih-ZEEZ)
A disease caused when cells from a donated stem cell graft attack the normal tissue of the transplant patient. Symptoms include jaundice, skin rash or blisters, a dry mouth, or dry eyes. Also called GVHD.
high-dose radiation (hy-dose RAY-dee-AY-shun)
An amount of radiation that is greater than that given in typical radiation therapy. High-dose radiation is precisely directed at the tumor to avoid damaging healthy tissue, and may kill more cancer cells in fewer treatments. Also called HDR.
immune system (ih-MYOON SIS-tem)
The complex group of organs and cells that defends the body against infections and other diseases.
infection (in-FEK-shun)
Invasion and multiplication of germs in the body. Infections can occur in any part of the body and can spread throughout the body. The germs may be bacteria, viruses, yeast, or fungi. They can cause a fever and other problems, depending on where the infection occurs. When the body’s natural defense system is strong, it can often fight the germs and prevent infection. Some cancer treatments can weaken the natural defense system.
late effects (layt eh-FEKTS)
Side effects of cancer treatment that appear months or years after treatment has ended. Late effects include physical and mental problems and second cancers.
lung (lung)
One of a pair of organs in the chest that supplies the body with oxygen, and removes carbon dioxide from the body.
mucus (MYOO-kus)
A thick, slippery fluid made by the membranes that line certain organs of the body, including the nose, mouth, throat, and vagina.
spleen (spleen)
An organ that is part of the lymphatic system. The spleen makes lymphocytes, filters the blood, stores blood cells, and destroys old blood cells. It is located on the left side of the abdomen near the stomach.
splenectomy (spleh-NEK-toh-mee)
An operation to remove the spleen.
stem cell transplant (stem sel tranz-plant)
A method of replacing immature blood-forming cells in the bone marrow that have been destroyed by drugs, radiation, or disease. Stem cells are injected into the patient and make healthy blood cells. A stem cell transplant may be autologous (using a patient’s own stem cells that were saved before treatment), allogeneic (using stem cells donated by someone who is not an identical twin), or syngeneic (using stem cells donated by an identical twin).
surgery (SER-juh-ree)
A procedure to remove or repair a part of the body or to find out whether disease is present. An operation.
symptom (SIMP-tum)
An indication that a person has a condition or disease. Some examples of symptoms are headache, fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and pain.
therapy (THAYR-uh-pee)
Treatment.
throat (throte)
The hollow tube inside the neck that starts behind the nose and ends at the top of the trachea (windpipe) and esophagus (the tube that goes to the stomach). The throat is about 5 inches long, depending on body size. Also called pharynx.
vaccinated (VAK-sih-NAY-ted)
Treated with a vaccine.
vaccination (VAK-sih-NAY-shun)
Treatment with a vaccine.