[Late data in pediatric oncology].

This work reviews the most frequent late effects seen in long-term survivors and how they relate to individual therapeutic modalities: a) Growth: severe growth retardation is seen in patients treated by radiation therapy, related to dose, anatomical site and age of patient, along with bony abnormalities (scoliosis, atrophy or hypoplasia, osteoporosis). b) Fertility: chemotherapy, in particular alkylating agents and the methylhydrazine procarbazine, can interfere with gonadal function, especially when administered with abdomen and pelvic irradiation. This effect is often seen in Hodgkin disease. c) Cardiovascular function: the anthracyclines cardiotoxicity is well known and most commonly presents with cardiomyopathy, pericarditis or both. d) Pulmonary function: pulmonary fibrosis and recurring pneumonitis are the most common effects when more than a total dose 3000 cGy has been delivered to more than 50% of the lung. Chemotherapeutic agents (bleomycin, busulfan and many others) appear to be dose-related responsible for pulmonary disease in long-term survivors. e) Gastrointestinal function: fibrosis and enteritis are the most common pathologic abnormalities of the gastrointestinal tract, particularly after radiation therapy. The hepatotoxicity of anticancer therapy is well known: fibrosis-cirrhosis is seen after radiation therapy when a total dose between 1200 and 5800 cGy is administered, but abnormal liver function is also found after chemotherapy, being methotrexate implicated as cause of chronic hepatopathy. f) Urinary tract: hemorrhagic cystitis has been associated with cyclophosphamide and iphosfamide, but today this complication has been reduced by the use of prophylactic measures such as vigorous hydration and diuresis. Radiation in dose exceeding 2000 cGy is a well-defined cause of renal failure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)