It is frightening to think that almost 1 in 300 children between birth and age 20 will have been diagnosed with cancer. Yet with the cure rate for these children increasing to about 80 per cent we have a lot to be thankful for.

With the increase survival rate doctors are now worried that the chemotherapy and radiation treatments that save kids’ lives may cause problems later on. The therapies can lead to secondary cancers, malignant or benign brain tumors, heart disease, fragile bones, depression, insomnia and anxiety.

Research shows that about two-thirds of children with cancer will experience at least one late health consequence as a result of their earlier treatment. For example, a child with Hodgkin’s disease who had radiation to her chest is at risk for skin cancer, thyroid cancer and breast cancer as an adult.

Research from the American Society of Clinical Oncology shows that childhood survivors have a five- to 10-times greater risk than their healthy siblings of developing heart disease in early adulthood. The class of chemo drugs known as anthracyclines can be toxic to children’s developing hearts, causing heart failure and enlarged hearts in adulthood.

“The effects get worse with time,” Aarati Didwania, M.D., from Northwestern University said in a press release. “The further out patients get from their treatment, the more likely they are to develop late effects.”

A NEW PROGRAM: Northwestern University is one of only about a handful of centers across the country to offer a new type of program for childhood cancer survivors. The program is called STAR, which stands for “Survivors Taking Action and Responsibility.” It focuses on the comprehensive health care of adults who are survivors of childhood cancer.

Staff members track down patients’ health records from 10, 20, 30 or more years ago to compile those records into a clinical summary for patients. The summary includes information on the chemo drugs, radiation exposures and surgeries that the patients may have experienced in the past.

Doctors say these details may predict certain health problems that lie ahead. The information also helps clinicians decide on diagnostic screenings that may protect the patients. The STAR program is unique because different medical specialists collaborate to meet the patients’ specific needs.

NOT JUST PHYSICAL PROBLEMS: Many childhood cancer survivors have also experienced psychological problems as a result of their illnesses. Because of their time away from school during treatment, many may have missed out on important milestones like dating or maintaining close friendships. Doctors with the STAR program offer the survivors support and teach them valuable social skills.