About two-thirds of pediatric cancer survivors experience at least one late health effect of treatment, and for more than one-quarter of survivors it is severe or life-threatening.

From the Los Angeles Times, an extended feature about young adults who have survived childhood cancer only to find that their health is now threatened by the very treatments that once saved their lives

Cancer therapies injure, starve or kill healthy cells along with malignant ones, and as a consequence, survivors have a heightened risk of health problems, including early heart attacks, second cancers, stunted growth and infertility.

… The developing brain — and psyche — can be affected as well. Radiation to the brain can result in a drop of 20 or more IQ points, causing learning disabilities for some. And while some cured youngsters enter adulthood feeling a renewed sense of purpose, others must deal with lingering bitterness and trauma from their treatment, which can emerge as depression or anxiety when they become adults.

… Only recently is the medical community understanding the importance of lifelong health monitoring to help them avoid, or detect early, the host of medical risks that could lie in their path.

Related links:

• Programs for childhood cancer survivors
• Survivors tell of their experiences with childhood cancer

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 27th, 2008 at 11:58 am and is filed under brain injury, cancer, drugs, learning disabilities, News_2_Use, NOT2BEMISSED, special education, tips & wisdom. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.