Childhood Cancer Survivors Suffer Long-Term Effects

Childhood Cancer Survivors Suffer Long-Term Effects

As a leading cancer surgeon, Anton Bilchik MD was interested in a new study that shows children who survive childhood cancer have a high risk for suffering long-term effects from the disease or from treatment for that disease. This study suggests that as many as 70 percent of survivors felt physical, mental, and social effects 30 years after treatment. These effects cause the individual to experience a poorer quality of life.  About one in every 600 adults who are aged 20 to 39 is a survivor of childhood cancer.

Scientists at University of Florida Health teamed with researchers from the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis for this study. They looked at medical records from 1,667 childhood cancer survivors who took part in a survey that studied the long-term effects of cancer. Participants answered questions focusing on quality of life issues.

About 70 percent of respondents reported at least one late effect from childhood cancer. One-quarter of participants reported six or more effects. The most commonly reported problems were head, neck, and back pain, pain in other parts of the body, disfigurement such as hair loss, and loss of sensation.

Participants rated their own quality of physical and mental health as generally low. Patients reported that more symptoms develop as time passed, and that each symptom brought the quality of life even lower. These effects can appear as late as 40 years after the onset of childhood cancer.

Anton Bilchik MD says the study underscores the need for comprehensive treatment for childhood cancer, one that addresses the long-term medical, social, and emotional effects of these pediatric conditions.