Sometimes chemotherapy and radiotherapy can damage the heart and lungs. This could happen if you've had radiotherapy to your chest or upper back - for example, for Hodgkin lymphoma or a spinal tumour.
- Your heart muscle can get weaker which might make it harder for it to pump blood around your body. This can make you feel a bit tired. You might also find that you can't do as much exercise anymore because you get a bit short of breath.
- Your treatment may also cause scarring in your lungs which would make you feel a bit out of breath.
Remember, this doesn't happen to everyone – it depends on the treatment that you've had. If your doctors think you might be at risk of this, they will tell you and you'll have regular checks with echocardiograms (heart ultrasound) and lung function tests.
