By Sue Rochman

Children's Oncology: Leading the Way

By Sue Rochman

As the five-year survival rate for childhood and adolescent cancers approached 80 percent in the 1980s and 1990s, children’s oncologists recognized the need these patients would have for comprehensive information about navigating their adult lives as cancer survivors—and the potential late effects of the treatments they had received.

In response, the Children’s Oncology Group, a worldwide clinical trials cooperative, began to develop survivorship programs and created www.survivorshipguidelines.org. The site includes the comprehensive report “Long-Term Follow-Up Guidelines for Survivors of Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Cancers,” as well as information sheets that address topics ranging from emotional and educational issues to thyroid problems and second cancers.

“The Next Step: Crossing the Bridge to Survivorship” is another new resource. Published by the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, the manual can be customized for each patient to include information about his or her cancer diagnosis and specific treatment. The free manual is available online at lombardi.georgetown.edu/survivorship.