(NewsUSA) - Once childhood cancer patients have been declared cancer-free, most are not completely out of the woods. More than 60 percent of childhood cancer survivors experience late effects of cancer treatment resulting in chronic conditions. The New England Journal of Medicine says nearly half of all late effects are severe, life threatening or disabling.
Although two-thirds of all childhood cancer survivors develop late effects -- including breast cancer, heart disease, learning disabilities, infertility and hearing loss -- few get adequate follow-up care.
kAmQ|@DE @7 E96> 5@?VE <?@H E96:C C:D<D 7@C >65:42= =2E6 67764ED[ H9:49 AFED E96> :? 2 G6CJ AC642C:@FD A@D:E:@? :? E6C>D @7 >2:?E2:?:?8 E96:C 962=E9[Q D2JD }2?4J z66?6[ 2 A2C6?E @7 2 DFCG:G@C @7 49:=59@@5 =6F<6>:2[ 2?5 2FE9@C @7 E@A:42= 3@@<D :?4=F5:?8 Qr9:=59@@5 r2?46C $FCG:G@CDi p !C24E:42= vF:56 E@ *@FC uFEFC6]Qk^Am
kAmQ%96C6 2C6 2 =@E @7 DFCG:G@CD :? EC@F3=6 @FE E96C6[ 2?5 E96J 5@?VE <?@H :E] x7 E96J 86E 7@==@H\FA 42C6 7C@> 2? 6IA6CE[ E96? E96J >:?:>:K6 E96 492?46D @7 92G:?8 AC@3=6>D[Q z66?6 6>A92D:K6D] Qp?5 2== E96 E9:?8D E92E 96=A 2?J3@5J DE2J 962=E9J 2C6 6G6? >@C6 :>A@CE2?E 7@C 42?46C DFCG:G@CD]Qk^Am
kAm%96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 >2:?E2:?:?8 2 962=E9J =:76DEJ=6 27E6C EC62E>6?E[ :?4=F5:?8 86EE:?8 6?@F89 D=66A[ 62E:?8 H6== 2?5 6I6C4:D:?8[ 42?VE 36 F?56C6DE:>2E65]k^Am
kAmQx 7:?5 E92E x ?665 2 =@E >@C6 D=66A E92? >J A66CD[ 2?5 x C62=:K6 H92E 2 5:776C6?46 :E >2<6D :? >J 8C256D 2?5 DEF5J:?8 H96? x 5@ 86E 6?@F89 D=66A[Q D2JD p==:D@? s6$@E@[ 2 ;F?:@C 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 v6@C8:2 H9@ DFCG:G65 42?46C 2D 2 49:=5] QtI6C4:D6 2=D@ 96=AD E@ C6=:6G6 DEC6DD]Qk^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ >2<:?8 962=E9J 49@:46D[ :EVD 4C:E:42= E92E DFCG:G@CD 2C6 2H2C6 @7 E96 C6A6C4FDD:@?D @7 42?46C EC62E>6?ED @? 8C@H:?8 3@5:6D 2?5 J@F?8 >:?5D \\ DF49 2D 46CE2:? 42?46C 5:28?@D6D 2?5 DF3D6BF6?E E96C2A:6D 42CCJ:?8 2 9:896C C:D< @7 56G6=@A:?8 @E96C 5:D62D6D =2E6C :? =:76]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ z66?6[ E96 8C62E6DE E9C62E E@ 2 DFCG:G@CVD H6==\36:?8 :D 2 =24< @7 :?7@C>2E:@?]k^Am
kAmw6C6 2C6 D@>6 E9:?8D E@ 36 2H2C6 @7 E@ >2:?E2:? 2 962=E9J =:76DEJ=6 2?5 C65F46 =2E6 67764ED 2D DFCG:G@CD EC2?D:E:@? :?E@ 25F=E9@@5ik^Am
kAmY 962=E9 65F42E:@? 23@FE 6I6C4:D6[ 5:6E[ D>@<:?8[ DF?[ D62E 36=ED[ E6IE:?8 H9:=6 5C:G:?8[ D276 D6I[ 6E4][k^Am
kAmY C6AC@5F4E:G6 4@F?D6=:?8[k^Am
kAmY ADJ49@D@4:2= DFAA@CE[k^Am
kAmY 65F42E:@? 23@FE 5:D62D6 9:DE@CJ[ 2?5k^Am
kAmY 5:D4FDD:@? @7 C:D<D 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 EC62E>6?E]k^Am
kAm$FCG:G@CD D9@F=5 2=D@ FE:=:K6 C6D@FC46D =:<6 %96 }2E:@?2= r9:=5C6?VD r2?46C $@4:6EJVD q6J@?5 E96 rFC6 DFCG:G@CD9:A AC@8C2> Wk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]36J@?5E964FC6]@C8QmHHH]36J@?5E964FC6]@C8k^2mX[ H9:49 @776CD E96 >@DE FA\E@\52E6 :?7@C>2E:@? 2G2:=23=6 @? DFCG:G@CD9:A]k^Am