Pulmonary complications of childhood cancers

Pulmonary complications are frequently seen in survivors of childhood cancer, and are due to both disease-related and treatment-related causes. While primary lung cancer is extremely rare in the pediatric population, the lung is a common site for metastatic disease. Furthermore, therapies used to treat the pediatric population can often cause pulmonary toxicity. Specifically, chemotherapy, radiation, hematopoietic stem cell transplant, and surgery can all cause long-term damage to the sensitive lung tissue. These pulmonary sequelae can be further subdivided into acute and late effects.