Chemotherapy and Vision Loss: Understanding the Risks & Recovery

One rare side effect of chemotherapy is blindness. Chemotherapy drugs affect non-specific areas of the body, including the nervous system. Blindness and vision problems happen as a result of damage to the nervous system.

• Chemotherapy has many negative side effects

Background

• Chemotherapy treatments can damage the optic nerves, which causes vision issues and blindness. In most cases, the damage is temporary, and the vision may return.

Drugs

• Certain chemotherapy drugs such as vincristine may cause blindness more often than other drugs. If you believe it is the specific drug that is causing vision problems, speak with a doctor about your options.

Who's Affected

• Blindness is a rare side effect of chemotherapy. Those most commonly affected are people who already have preexisting vision problems or optic nerve weakness.

Chemo

• Chemotherapy is a treatment option for individuals with cancer. The treatment uses chemicals to kill cancer cells and prevent them from dividing rapidly.

Warning

• If you are worried about blindness as it relates to chemo, speak with a doctor about your choices before treatment is administered.