Abstract
The benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy for early stage breast cancer must be considered in light of the potential risks and anticipated side effects. When considering a course of adjuvant chemotherapy for a patient, one should not only consider acute side effects of treatment, but should understand the long-term risks of therapy. Sustained or long-term effects of adjuvant chemotherapy usually have either a late onset or a sustained impact – often lasting for many years. In the case of some of the rare long-term complications, many years may elapse before any symptoms develop. This review details sustained and long-term complications of adjuvant chemotherapy including information about risk factors, etiology, and incidence rates for specific complications. Interventions to ameliorate long-term complications are also addressed.