---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Chemotherapy and radiation have side…"
description: "\"Chemotherapy and radiation have side effects, and they can cause secondary cancers.\" — Margaret Cuomo"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ca/margaret-cuomo-8038_cancer_chemotherapy-and-radiation-have-side-eff_948755.jpg"
---

#  Chemotherapy and radiation have side effects, and they can…

![“Chemotherapy and radiation have side effects, and they can cause secondary cancers.” quote by Margaret Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ca/margaret-cuomo-8038_cancer_chemotherapy-and-radiation-have-side-eff_948755.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ca/margaret-cuomo-8038_cancer_chemotherapy-and-radiation-have-side-eff_948755.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ca/margaret-cuomo-8038_cancer_chemotherapy-and-radiation-have-side-eff_948755.jpg)

> “Chemotherapy and radiation have side effects, and they can cause secondary cancers.”

[Margaret Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cuomo/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Medical treatments can cause new health problems, including new cancers, as side effects.

**In simple terms:** Cancer therapies may lead to additional illnesses.

Key Takeaway

Weigh risks and benefits carefully.

Themes

health risk cancer medicine

Mood

cautious informative

Type

advisory educational

When to use this quote

- treatment planning
- patient counseling
- risk assessment

Key Concepts

oncology secondary effects patient care

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance treatment benefits against long‑term risks?
- What monitoring strategies reduce secondary cancer risk?

A Different Perspective

Side effects vary by individual and may be mitigated.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cancer/) [Chemotherapy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chemotherapy/) [Side effects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/side-effects/)

## Related quotes

> [For so long, the mainstays of cancer treatment have been chemotherapy and radiation. They're toxic and primitive. We need to look at it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-vertes/for-so-long-the-mainstays-of-cancer-treatment-have-been-chemotherapy/)

[Eva Vertes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-vertes/)

> [...One of the side effects of (surgery, anesthesia,) X-ray..., and chemotherapy, is the suppression...of the patient's immunological defenses...A simple cold often leads to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-edward-griffin/one-of-the-side-effects-of-surgery-anesthesia-x-ray-and-chemotherapy/)

[G. Edward Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-edward-griffin/)

> [Chemotherapy is such a hard, hard kiss. Anything we can do to alleviate its side effects should be intelligently explored with an open mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ladd/chemotherapy-is-such-a-hard-hard-kiss-anything-we-can-do-to-alleviate/)

[Diane Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ladd/)

> [I had uterine cancer, which is the most under-funded and under-researched of all the female cancers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-drescher/i-had-uterine-cancer-which-is-the-most-under-funded-and-under/)

[Fran Drescher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-drescher/)

> [There are clearly environmental factors that can decrease the incidence and death from cancer. I would still say though that the majority of cancers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-glimcher/there-are-clearly-environmental-factors-that-can-decrease-the/)

[Laurie Glimcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-glimcher/)

> [CANCER - The Beauty (June 21 to July 22) MOST AMAZING KISSER. Very high appeal. A Cancers love is one of a kind¦ Very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/cancer-the-beauty-june-21-to-july-22-most-amazing-kisser-very-high/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The Bible diagnoses the cancer of all cancers and prescribes the cure of all cures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/the-bible-diagnoses-the-cancer-of-all-cancers-and-prescribes-the-cure/)

[Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/)

> [Less than 5% of cancers are related to genes. 95% are influenced by your lifestyle. You are the author of your biological story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/less-than-5-of-cancers-are-related-to-genes-95-are-influenced-by-your/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Cancers dont have time for fake people. We wish we can know if &amp; how it will end before we spend times with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/cancers-dont-have-time-for-fake-people-we-wish-we-can-know-if-how-it/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Cancers never make the first move, ever!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/cancers-never-make-the-first-move-ever/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [More than 90% of cancers are curable at stage one - look for them, look for them, look for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yael-cohen/more-than-90-of-cancers-are-curable-at-stage-one-look-for-them-look/)

[Yael Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yael-cohen/)

> [“Most cancers are the result of repeatedly suppressing mild symptoms of illness such as a cold, pain, infection, or headache and treating them as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-moritz/most-cancers-are-the-result-of-repeatedly-suppressing-mild-symptoms/)

[Andreas Moritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-moritz/)

> [I don't think we will find a cure for all cancers in the next 50 years let alone 20. I think it's foolishness to say that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/i-don-t-think-we-will-find-a-cure-for-all-cancers-in-the-next-50/)

[Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/)

> [Before he died, my dad had three primary cancers over 20 years, and for four of those years, he was having chemo every day.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-perkins/before-he-died-my-dad-had-three-primary-cancers-over-20-years-and-for/)

[Sue Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-perkins/)

> [According to leading researchers, however, only about 10 to 15 percent of cancers are genetic in origin; the rest are caused by a combination…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dharma-singh-khalsa/according-to-leading-researchers-however-only-about-10-to-15-percent/)

Dharma Singh Khalsa

## More by Margaret Cuomo

> [Less Cancer is dedicated to the prevention of cancer by raising awareness, educating, and developing strategies to reduce cancer risk. I am honored to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cuomo/less-cancer-is-dedicated-to-the-prevention-of-cancer-by-raising/)

[Margaret Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cuomo/)

> [A non-invasive test that is sensitive and specific for the early detection of breast cancer is a goal worthy of our investment and dedication.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cuomo/a-non-invasive-test-that-is-sensitive-and-specific-for-the-early/)

[Margaret Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cuomo/)

> [Surprisingly, the United States lacks federal legislation to protect consumers from an abundance of harmful chemicals in everyday products.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cuomo/surprisingly-the-united-states-lacks-federal-legislation-to-protect/)

[Margaret Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cuomo/)

> [While we support the women who bravely face breast cancer treatments, we should also promote the prevention of breast cancer from a very early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cuomo/while-we-support-the-women-who-bravely-face-breast-cancer-treatments/)

[Margaret Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cuomo/)

> [Nicotine is a highly addictive substance, and is present in most e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes also contain cancer-causing nitrosamines and diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cuomo/nicotine-is-a-highly-addictive-substance-and-is-present-in-most-e/)

[Margaret Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cuomo/)

> [I am a board member and the volunteer director of medical and scientific content for Less Cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cuomo/i-am-a-board-member-and-the-volunteer-director-of-medical-and/)

[Margaret Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cuomo/)

> [An abnormality on a mammogram can turn a woman's life upside down, even if no cancer is ultimately found. At the very least, she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cuomo/an-abnormality-on-a-mammogram-can-turn-a-woman-s-life-upside-down/)

[Margaret Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cuomo/)

> [Teaching children to eat foods that will enhance their health, and offering them high-quality vegetables, fruits and whole grains in school lunches, have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cuomo/teaching-children-to-eat-foods-that-will-enhance-their-health-and/)

[Margaret Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cuomo/)

> [We owe it to ourselves, to our families, and to the future of America to improve the quality of our daily diets, and keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cuomo/we-owe-it-to-ourselves-to-our-families-and-to-the-future-of-america/)

[Margaret Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cuomo/)

> [Walking is a great way to exercise, and we can find ways to take additional steps each day by parking a car farther away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cuomo/walking-is-a-great-way-to-exercise-and-we-can-find-ways-to-take/)

[Margaret Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cuomo/)

> [Cooking simple, delicious meals at home is the key to maintaining your family's healthy eating habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cuomo/cooking-simple-delicious-meals-at-home-is-the-key-to-maintaining-your/)

[Margaret Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cuomo/)

> [Without federal standards for school lunches, candy bars, packaged snacks and soda can be offered to our children in school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cuomo/without-federal-standards-for-school-lunches-candy-bars-packaged/)

[Margaret Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cuomo/)

> [More than 40 years after the war on cancer was declared by President Richard Nixon in 1971, we are not much closer to preventing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cuomo/more-than-40-years-after-the-war-on-cancer-was-declared-by-president/)

[Margaret Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cuomo/)

> [Parents should be sure to have their children vaccinated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cuomo/parents-should-be-sure-to-have-their-children-vaccinated/)

[Margaret Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cuomo/)

> [National Cancer Prevention Day, Feb. 4, is a great opportunity to focus our attention on what should be an American priority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cuomo/national-cancer-prevention-day-feb-4-is-a-great-opportunity-to-focus/)

[Margaret Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cuomo/)

[Explore all 85 Margaret Cuomo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cuomo/)

## More Cancer quotes

> [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/)

[Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/)

> [If one truly has lost hope, one would not be on hand to say so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bentley/if-one-truly-has-lost-hope-one-would-not-be-on-hand-to-say-so/)

[Eric Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bentley/)

> [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/)

[Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/)

> [Historically, more people have died of religion than cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/historically-more-people-have-died-of-religion-than-cancer/)

[Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/)

> [“Our kind of love can go into remission, but it's always waiting to return. Like the world sweetest cancer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/our-kind-of-love-can-go-into-remission-but-it-s-always-waiting-to/)

[Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/)

> [Bollywood is a cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-banerjee/bollywood-is-a-cancer/)

[Victor Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-banerjee/)

> [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [When people go get chemo, they're not injecting themselves with will - I have lost various loved ones to cancer, and I certainly don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-hall/when-people-go-get-chemo-they-re-not-injecting-themselves-with-will-i/)

[Michael C. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-hall/)

> [“the doctor hesitated before breaking the news to her. "those aren't stars. it's cancer." - forty years a smoker”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lovelace/the-doctor-hesitated-before-breaking-the-news-to-her-those-aren-t/)

[Amanda Lovelace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lovelace/)

> [I loved you to the moon and back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-loved-you-to-the-moon-and-back/)

[Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/)

> [The risk of developing carcinoma of the lung increases steadily as the amount smoked increases. If the risk among non-smokers is taken as unity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-doll/the-risk-of-developing-carcinoma-of-the-lung-increases-steadily-as/)

Richard Doll

> [I would do away with super PACs. I think it's a cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-conrad/i-would-do-away-with-super-pacs-i-think-it-s-a-cancer/)

[Kent Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-conrad/)

> [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/)

[Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/)

> [If you are a white male, you don't deserve to live. You are a cancer, you're a disease, white males have never contributed anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-ignatiev/if-you-are-a-white-male-you-don-t-deserve-to-live-you-are-a-cancer/)

[Noel Ignatiev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-ignatiev/)

> [The way I look at it is, cancer research is absolutely nonpartisan. Cancer is very democratic in the sense that it attacks people regardless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-koch/the-way-i-look-at-it-is-cancer-research-is-absolutely-nonpartisan/)

[David H. Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-koch/)

[Browse all 3,177 Cancer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cancer/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Chemotherapy and radiation have side effects, and they can cause secondary cancers.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Margaret Cuomo"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cuomo/chemotherapy-and-radiation-have-side-effects-and-they-can-cause/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Cancer"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cuomo/chemotherapy-and-radiation-have-side-effects-and-they-can-cause/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ca/margaret-cuomo-8038_cancer_chemotherapy-and-radiation-have-side-eff_948755.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ca/margaret-cuomo-8038_cancer_chemotherapy-and-radiation-have-side-eff_948755.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ca/margaret-cuomo-8038_cancer_chemotherapy-and-radiation-have-side-eff_948755.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Chemotherapy and radiation have side effects, and they can cause secondary cancers.” — Margaret Cuomo",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Margaret Cuomo",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cuomo/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Chemotherapy and radiation have side effects,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cuomo/chemotherapy-and-radiation-have-side-effects-and-they-can-cause/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cuomo/chemotherapy-and-radiation-have-side-effects-and-they-can-cause/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
