Late Effects of Breast Cancer Treatment

Once breast cancer treatment ends, many side effects, such as hair loss and nausea, go away.

However, you may have some long-term side effects. And new side effects may occur months or even years after treatment ends. These long-term and new side effects may be called late effects of breast cancer treatment.

Late effects vary from person to person. So, it can be hard to plan for them and hard to cope with them.

Talk with your health care team about any health issues you have. It may help to keep a record of side effects as they happen so you can track them and discuss them with your provider. Although some conditions (such as early menopause) cannot be reversed, the symptoms can be treated.

Find a list of questions you may want to ask your health care provider about breast cancer survivorship.

Possible late effects of breast cancer treatment

Late effects of breast cancer treatment include (in alphabetical order):

• Bone health problems
• Changes after a mastectomy
• Changes in the look and feel of the breast after a lumpectomy
• Changes in the look and feel of the breast after radiation therapy
• Changes in the look and feel of the breast after reconstruction
• Cognitive function (problems with memory and concentration)
• Early menopause
• Emotional distress and depression
• Fatigue or insomnia (trouble sleeping)
• Fear of breast cancer recurrence
• Heart problems
• Infertility
• Joint and muscle pain
• Leukemia
• Lung problems
• Lymphedema
• Menopausal symptoms (such as hot flashes and vaginal symptoms)
• Numbness (neuropathy)
• Pain
• Sexuality and intimacy issues
• Weight gain

Click on the types of early breast cancer treatment below to learn about possible late effects of each (in alphabetical order):

• CDK4/6 inhibitor therapy
• Chemotherapy
• HER2-targeted therapies
• Hormone therapy (aromatase inhibitors, tamoxifen, ovarian suppression)
• Immunotherapy
• PARP inhibitor therapy
• Radiation therapy
• Surgery (lumpectomy or mastectomy)

Learn about managing the side effects of metastatic breast cancer treatment.

Quality of life after treatment

“Quality of life” describes a person’s overall well-being.

Your quality of life includes your:

• Physical health (including side effects such as pain and fatigue)
• Mental and emotional health
• Ability to perform daily roles
• Sexual function

Learn more about quality of life issues after breast cancer treatment.

Learn more about quality of life issues related to metastatic breast cancer.

Clinical trials

Research is ongoing to improve all areas of breast cancer care, including survivorship.

New therapies are being studied in clinical trials. Clinical trials can also study other parts of care, such as ways to manage short-term side effects and late effects.

After discussing the benefits and risks with your health care team, we encourage you to consider joining a clinical trial.

Susan G. Komen® Patient Care Center

If you or a loved one needs information or resources about clinical trials, the Patient Care Center can help. Contact the Komen Breast Care Helpline at 1-877-465-6636 or email clinicaltrialinfo@komen.org. Se habla español.

BreastCancerTrials.org in collaboration with Komen offers a custom matching service to help find clinical trials that fit your health needs, including clinical trials on survivorship, such as quality of life issues.

Learn how Komen-funded research is improving treatment for breast cancer.

Learn more about clinical trials.  

Updated 03/26/26