Late Effects of Breast Cancer Treatment

Once breast cancer treatment ends, most side effects of treatment go away. However, you may have some long-term side effects and new health effects may occur months or even years after treatment ends. These late effects of treatment vary from person to person. This can make it hard to plan for and cope with these effects.

Talk with your health care provider about any health issues you have. Although some conditions, (such as early menopause) cannot be reversed, the symptoms can be treated.

Common late effects

Some common late effects of breast cancer include:

• Early menopause
  • Menopausal symptoms (such as hot flashes and vaginal symptoms)
  • Infertility
• Emotional distress and depression
• Fatigue or insomnia (trouble sleeping)
• Fear of recurrence
• Sexuality and intimacy issues

Some conditions are related to specific treatments.

Click here to learn the late effects from radiation therapy, chemotherapy and other treatments.