Long-term effects of antitumor therapy in nephrology practice: case series

Abstract

The survival rate among children with cancer was significantly improved in recent years. About 40% of these patients, however, suffer from late complications of anticancer treatment. Risk factors of late kidney impairment include beginning of specific treatment before the age of 5 years; pre-existing kidney pathology; high cumulative dose of chemotherapy agents and radiation; surgery, including neurotomy. It is currently impossible to predict individual long-term effects of therapy. For this reason, the International Cancer Group suggests that all children who have undergone specific antitumor therapy be included in the risk group for the development of longterm complications, and to follow up asymptomatic patients surviving cancer without kidney function and structure impairment with at least yearly monitoring of blood pressure, blood count, urinalysis, serum creatinine, urea, K, Na, Ca, P, Mg, alkaline phosphatase. We described the spectrum of kidney diseases including ureterohydronephrosis, renovascular hypertension, Fanconi syndrome, and postradiation nephrosclerosis manifested from 8 months to 8 years after specific antitumor treatment.