ABSTRACT
Advances in the treatment of malignant diseases have resulted in a dramatic fall in mortality rates for most of them, which means that an increasing number of survivors may have to cope with the late effects of cancer treatment. The protocols used include surgery, tumor-targeted radiotherapy, chemotherapy, total body irradiation, and/or intensive chemotherapy followed by bone marrow transplantation. Appropriate therapeutic decisions can be taken to avoid or minimize severe complications such as dwarfism, abnormal pubertal development, and infertility. Although the primary goal is still to cure the malignant disease, knowledge of the side effects needs to be considered in the choice of any new therapeutic protocol.
