“”Cure is no longer a sufficient goal in pediatric cancer care,” the researchers wrote. “As the vast majority of these patients survive, attention must be paid to their long-term quality of life and health challenges….””
If you read the studies below you might think “gee, I don’t think a 3.6% risk of an autoimmune disease is that bad…” But add an increased risk of heart disease, a lower I.Q., an increased risk of mental problems including depression and other possible side long-term or late-stage side effects and the chances of a pediatric cancer survivor having real health problems after 10,20,30 years really add up.
I should know. After 16 years post cancer diagnosis of multiple myeloma, I developed chronic atrial fibrillation.
But this post is not about the risks cancer survivors run after aggressive, toxic therapies. This blog post is about taking steps to prevent long-term and late-stage side effects from happening.
I have managed my long-term and late stage side effects since my high-dose, aggressive chemo and radiation since my treatments in 94′-95′ with evidence-based, non-toxic, non-conventional therapies including nutrition, supplementation and lifestyle therapies.
To learn more about identifying and preventing long-term and late-stage side effects scroll down the page, post a question and I will reply ASAP.
thank you,
David Emerson
- Cancer Survivor
- Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Recommended Reading:
Breakthrough in Battle Against Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
Childhood Cancer Tied to Raised Risk for Other Ills in Adult Life
“”Cure is no longer a sufficient goal in childhood cancer care,” the researchers wrote. “As the vast majority of these patients survive, attention must be paid to their long-term quality of life and health challenges….””
Over an average follow-up of 15 to 19 years, 3.6 percent of childhood cancer survivors were treated in a hospital at least once for an autoimmune disease. That rate is 40 percent higher than among the adults who did not have childhood cancer, according to Dr. Anna Sallfors Holmqvist, of pediatric oncology and hematology at Skane University Hospital in Lund, Sweden, and colleagues…
The greatest risk of developing an autoimmune disorder was seen among adult survivors of childhood leukemia, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, kidney cancer and central nervous system tumors. Their risk was up to 60 percent higher than those who did not have childhood cancer, according to the report published online Nov. 10 in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases….”
“Late effects of pediatric cancer treatment may not be readily apparent to primary care clinicians or specialists who follow childhood cancer survivors over the long term.
When assessing a patient who underwent cancer treatment years or even decades ago, a provider might not link current symptoms to events in the patient’s medical history.
“I think a lot of physicians feel that if a patient completed cancer treatment without experiencing any treatment effects, these effects are not going to surface later, but that’s not the case…”
“For example, I had one patient who had seen a cardiologist as an adult, and the cardiologist was certain that this patient’s heart disease was not due to their childhood cancer treatment,” she said. “I said, ‘Well, it is, and here is why it is.’ In fact, we often see these effects develop at least 10 to 15 years after treatment. This is exactly the timeline we would expect.”
Overall, Effinger said physicians who handle these survivors may benefit from increased awareness about the potentially far-reaching impact of pediatric cancer treatment.
“I do think that in the case of our adult survivors, or even our childhood survivors, there is a lot that physicians don’t realize,” she said…”