Long-term side effectsInfertility, meaning you can't get pregnant or get a woman pregnant when you want, Cataracts, an eye condition that causes cloudy vision, Sexual side effects and early menopause, Thyroid problems, Lung or bone damage, Other cancer. You will have a higher risk of developing skin cancer in the future. This means you'll have to protect yourself from the sun's UV rays. You'll need to wear high-factor sunscreen and a hat when you're out in the sun.
If you notice any changes in your skin, especially on any mole you have, you should have them checked by your doctor. NHS website has help and tips for detecting early signs of skin cancer. Cataracts are cloudy patches that develop on the lens of the eye. May cause blurred or hazy vision and make everyday tasks, such as driving difficult.
It may take a few years before cataracts develop, so it's a good idea to have regular eye tests. If you had total body irradiation as part of conditioning therapy before your transplant, there is a higher chance of cataracts forming compared to chemotherapy alone. If cataracts begin to have an impact on your daily life, they can be easily removed with surgery. The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) has more information about cataracts and how they are treated.
It is necessary to take a shower every day to reduce the risk of infection. If you find it difficult to shower, let your nurse know for help. The room is cleaned and the sheets are changed every day. You are also at risk of infection by some foods.
The rules on what you can eat are different in different hospitals. While you are hospitalized and if you need it, you eat less likely to cause an infection. Talk to your nurse and dietitian about how to achieve a good balance between what you want to eat and what could cause an infection. Your platelet level will drop after treatment.
Platelets help blood to clot. A low platelet level means you are at risk of bleeding. You may get bruises more easily than usual. Usually there are no side effects, but occasional patients may experience a strange taste in the mouth, chills, redness of the face, nausea and vomiting, headache, and changes in blood pressure and breathing.
Urine may also be stained red for the first 24 hours after the transplant. If your urine remains red after this time or turns red later, tell your nurse. We do not recommend forcing yourself to eat when you have nausea and vomiting, because this can often worsen nausea and vomiting and cause problems later, such as a prolonged aversion to those foods because you associate them with feeling unwell (food aversions). Chemotherapy, traumatic brain injury, and some antibiotics can cause diarrhea.
This can cause skin breakage and infection around the rectum. A stool sample may be collected to rule out infection as a cause of diarrhea. Medicines are available to decrease diarrhea, and creams or sitz baths can relieve irritation around the bottom. Tell the nurse if you have any discomfort around your butt.
Infection is one of the most common complications when neutrophil counts are low during hospitalization. However, after your white blood cell count reaches normal, resistance to infections continues to decline, partly because of the medications you will receive and partly because of the time it takes for your new immune system to grow. This can take up to two years. We will monitor your immune system regrowth and notify you as your risk of infection decreases.
In addition, antibiotics will be given to prevent infections. You will continue to take them on discharge from the hospital to help prevent infection. When an infection is suspected, the doctor will order that samples be collected and cultured. These may include urine, blood, sputum and stool samples, smears from the throat, rectum, catheter site, and any suspicious skin ruptures.
You will also have a chest x-ray. Additional antibiotics may be given to combat suspected infection. Hair loss usually occurs one to two weeks after chemotherapy or TBI. This is temporary and the hair is expected to grow back.
We recommend shaving or cutting your hair very short to avoid itching when there is hair loss. In most cases, it develops 1 to 6 months after allogeneic stem cell transplantation, when the immune system is still very weak. Reading about these long-term effects can be overwhelming and a little overwhelming, especially if you're preparing for a stem cell transplant or have recently had a stem cell transplant. These services are provided by clinical nurse specialists with extensive experience in the needs of stem cell transplant recipients.
The median age at the time of stem cell transplant was 33 years and the median time since transplant was almost 8 years. Undergoing a stem cell transplant can have a long-term impact on your health and well-being, so you'll be invited to annual checkups where you can monitor your progress. Stem cell transplant may affect parts of the body that produce hormones, such as the thyroid, pancreas, and sex glands. Research Reports on Autologous Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation & for Recurrent and Newly Diagnosed Mantle Cell Lymphoma.
According to one of the first online publications in the journal Cancer, some patients who have undergone allogeneic stem cell transplantation have a higher risk of developing solid cancers (cancers that do not originate in the blood or lymph), especially if the donor was a woman. This radiation therapy aims to destroy the remaining cancer cells and further suppress the immune system. Researchers from British Columbia, Canada, recently conducted a clinical study to review the incidence of second solid cancers that developed among patients who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Osteoporosis (or thinning of the bones) is a common problem for many people as they age, but it is more likely to occur after a stem cell transplant.
A study was conducted to investigate possible differences in reproductive function in long-term stem cell transplant survivors. Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTSD) is an out-of-control growth of lymph cells, actually a type of lymphoma, that can develop after an allogeneic stem cell transplant. As transplant methods have improved, more people live longer and doctors learn more about the long-term outcomes of stem cell transplant. Stem Cell Transplant Complications Affecting Infections in Stem Cell Transplant Recipients, with Analogies to Patients with Hematologic Malignancies.
Recovery may take longer if you have had your own stem cells (instead of stem cells from a donor). . .
