Caring for Long-Term Survivors of Childhood Cancer

Clinical Takeaway

: Late-onset treatment-related complications led to higher mortality; care providers should prioritize monitoring and management of cancer survivors.

Context

The dramatic progress in curing childhood and adolescent/young adult (AYA) malignancies has been tempered by lethal treatment-related cancers and cardiovascular complications. In a retrospective multicenter study, investigators compared mortality rates in childhood/AYA cancer survivors diagnosed before age 21 who survived to or beyond age 50 against rates in the general population and compared chronic health conditions in a cohort of consenting survivors and their siblings.

Key Results

Among 7490 survivors, mortality risks after age 50 were 8.6% at 5 years, 18.4% at 10 years, and 32.7% at 15 years, exceeding the risk in the general population. The greatest excess mortality was observed among Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivors.
Cancer, most co…

Reviewing Author

Michael E. Williams, MD, ScM

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardAbbVie; AstraZeneca; Beigene; Janssen; Pharmacyclics

Grant/Research SupportJanssen

Editorial BoardsAmerican Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Hematology Longitudinal Knowledge Approval Committee