Background With the advances in childhood cancer treatment over the last forty decades, increasingly more children are surviving cancer well into adulthood. These increases in cure are tempered by the realization that two-thirds of survivors of childhood cancer will have some health-related problems associated with their initial diagnosis or subsequent treatment. Researchers from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS), a consortium of survivors treated at 25 pediatric cancer centers across the United States and Canada, found that among 9,535 adult survivors of childhood cancer, only 10.9 per cent of adult survivors reported fair or poor health, even though 43.6 per cent reported some sort of impairment linked to childhood cancer or its treatment. New information relating to these late health effects is constantly emerging.There are at least 3,000 survivors of childhood cancer in BC. Many are not aware of some of the long-term risks associated with their previous treatment. The current situation in BC is that only a very small number of patients are followed as adults at the BC Cancer Agency, some are followed by their family doctor who has been given guidelines, and some are cared for by physicians who are not aware of long-term consequences of therapy.
ProgramAn ongoing comprehensive follow-up program for adult survivors of childhood cancer is being developed. Efforts will be made to trace and contact long-term survivors of childhood cancer. The program will be coordinated through a central clinic in Vancouver linking with satellite clinics in Victoria, Kelowna, Surrey, and Prince George. Community family physicians will be part of the team in providing care.Survivors who are interested in this program may contact Marion Nelson, Long Term Follow Up Nurse Clinician, at mnelson@cw.bc.ca. What survivors will receive through this program
Recommended readingChildhood Cancer Survivors - A Practical Guide to Your Future (2nd Edition, 2007)By Kathy Ruccione, Nancy Keen and Wendy Hobbie. This book can be ordered from O'Reilly.Page updated August 2011