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Childhood Cancer Survivors: What’s Next?
The study linked below documents how oncology misses the point when it comes to childhood cancer survivors. Like parents with their offspring, the goal is well-established but parents prove to be clueless when it comes to how to get there…
Childhood cancer survivors may be “cured” of their respective cancers. By itself, a cure is a spectacular outcome when talking about cancer…any cancer.
Unfortunately, to the childhood cancer survivor, a life of chronic health conditions equates to a life of depression and anxiety-filled days.
What are common short, long-term and late stage side effects that childhood cancer survivors face upon completion of therapy?
Short-Term Side Effects
These occur during or immediately after treatment and usually resolve within weeks to months.
- Fatigue: A common side effect due to the energy the body uses to heal and the impact of treatments like chemotherapy.
- Nausea and Vomiting: Often due to chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
- Hair Loss: Common with chemotherapy and radiation.
- Infections: Due to weakened immune system from chemotherapy.
- Mouth Sores: A side effect of certain chemotherapies.
- Pain: From the cancer itself, surgeries, or treatments.
- Skin Changes: Including rashes, dryness, or sensitivity.
Long-Term Side Effects
These persist or develop months to years after treatment and can impact survivors’ quality of life.
- Cognitive or Learning Problems: Resulting from chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery affecting the brain.
- Growth and Development Issues: Especially in children who were treated with radiation or high-dose chemotherapy.
- Endocrine Problems: Such as thyroid dysfunction, growth hormone deficiency, or infertility.
- Cardiac Issues: Including cardiomyopathy or other heart problems due to certain chemotherapy drugs or radiation.
- Hearing Loss: From certain chemotherapies or high doses of radiation to the head.
- Lung Problems: Including pulmonary fibrosis or reduced lung capacity.
- Bone Health Issues: Such as osteoporosis or increased risk of fractures.
Late Effects
These can occur years to decades after treatment and may include chronic health problems or secondary cancers.
- Secondary Cancers: Increased risk of developing a different type of cancer later in life, often due to radiation therapy or certain chemotherapies.
- Organ Dysfunction: Including heart, lung, or kidney problems that develop or worsen over time.
- Fertility Issues: Permanent infertility or problems with reproductive health.
- Chronic Fatigue: Long-lasting tiredness that doesn’t go away with rest.
- Psychological Issues: Including anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Social and Emotional Challenges: Difficulties with relationships, employment, or social interactions.
man hand holding his nutritional supplemets, healthy lifestyle background.
Rather than taking a watch and wait approach to my cancer survival, I live what I believe is an anti-cancer lifestyle through:
- nutrition,
- supplementation and
- lifestyle therapies
I can’t be sure that this lifestyle is why I’ve remained cancer-free since 1999, but this lifestyle gives me something to focus on rather than my many side effects from therapies that didn’t even touch my blood cancer.
Keep in mind that these healthful non-conventional therapies are not FDA approved. This isn’t good or bad, it just is.
Are you a childhood cancer survivor? If you would like to learn more about evidence-based non-conventional therapies, email me at David.PeopleBeatingCancer@gmail.com
Hang in there,
David Emerson
- Cancer Survivor
- Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Health-related risk behaviors among U.S. childhood cancer survivors: a nationwide estimate
“Background
- Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) are subject to a substantial burden of treatment-related morbidity.
- Engaging in health protective behaviors and eliminating risk behaviors are critical to preventing chronic diseases and premature deaths.
This study is aimed to provide updated information on currently:
- smoking,
- physical inactivity,
- binge drinking patterns and
- associated factors among CCS using a nationwide dataset.
Methods
We constructed a sample of CCS (cancer diagnosis at ages < 21y) and healthy controls (matched on age, sex, residency, race/ethnicity) using 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System…
Results
The final sample (18-80y) included 372 CCS and 1107 controls. Compared to controls, CCS had a similar proportion of binge drinking (~ 18%) but higher prevalence of
- currently smoking (26.6% vs. 14.4%, p < 0.001),
- physical inactivity (23.7% vs. 17.7%, p = 0.012),
- and of having 2-or-3 risk behaviors (17.2% vs. 8.1%, p < 0.001).
Younger age, lower educational attainment, and having multiple chronic health conditions were associated with engaging in more risk behaviors among CCS.
Females, compared to male counterparts, had lower odds of binge drinking (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.30, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.16–0.57) among CCS but not in all sample.
Having multiple chronic health conditions increased odds of both currently smoking (aOR = 3.52 95%CI: 1.76–7.02) and binge drinking (aOR = 2.13 95%CI: 1.11–4.08) among CCS while it only increased odds of currently smoking in all sample.
Discussion
Our study provided risk behavior information for wide age-range CCS, which is currently lacking. Every one in four CCS was currently smoking. Interventions targeting risk behavior reduction should focus on CCS with multiple chronic health conditions…”
…Childhood cancer survivors, compared to controls, were more likely to report at least 1 day with poor mental health (56.7% vs. 42.2%, p < 0.001) or at least 1 day with poor physical health (45.7% vs. 29.7%, p < 0.001) within the last 30 days.
While the prevalence of obesity was comparable for the survivors and controls, childhood cancer survivors were two times as likely to report multiple chronic health conditions (47.5% vs. 20.5%, p < 0.001, Table 1).
Childhood cancer survivors had statistically significantly higher prevalence of the following chronic health conditions: asthma, diabetes, arthritis, depressive disorder, heart attack, stroke, coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and kidney disease (data not shown in tables).
Mean follow-up since childhood cancer diagnosis for childhood cancer survivors was 33y (standard deviation: 18.7y), median follow-up was 32y (data not shown in tables.)..”