Lifelong Care for Childhood Cancer Survivors

Thanks to modern cancer treatments, more children survive cancer than ever before. In fact, at Cincinnati Children’s, we believe survivorship starts the day a child is diagnosed. Every treatment plan aims to help children live with—and beyond—their cancer with a focus on wellness and treating children and young adults as a whole person, regardless of diagnosis.

However, the same treatments that save lives may cause other medical conditions or health complications (also known as “late effects”) and may not show up until years after pediatric cancer treatments.

Late effects may include:

• Cognitive problems, such as trouble thinking or remembering
• Fertility problems in women and men
• Heart problems, such as arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)
• Lung disease
• Secondary cancers, such as breast cancer, that develop at a younger age than normal

In many cases, these conditions are also treatable. But identifying and treating them early (and successfully) requires ongoing monitoring and support from experts who know your medical history—and know what late effects to watch for.

You’ll find this expert care at Cincinnati Children’s. Our Cancer Survivorship Center provides lifelong follow-up care to any survivor of pediatric cancers, including adults and those who were not originally treated at Cincinnati Children’s.

A National Leader in Cancer Survivorship

When we founded the Cancer Survivorship Center in 1987, we were one of the first programs of its kind in the United States.

Today, decades later, we’re still one of the few programs that doesn’t have an age limit. Most pediatric medical centers stop providing follow-up care to cancer survivors between the ages of 18-21. But we provide ongoing care to people of all ages.

This distinction is important. Many people who had cancer treatments as children won’t experience late effects until well into adulthood. And many providers who care for adults aren’t familiar with the unique medical needs of childhood cancer survivors.

At the Cancer Survivorship Center, we can help you address all your medical and psychosocial needs. You’ll benefit from:

• Working with specialists who are up-to-date on all the latest screening and treatment guidelines for childhood cancer survivors.
• Having access to a wide range of services that support your long-term health and quality of life.
• Having opportunities to take part in research studies that help us improve pediatric cancer treatments. This may help us minimize future complications among childhood cancer survivors.

Learn who we treat and what to expect when you seek care from our team.

If you or a family member could benefit from our cancer survivorship services, contact our team to schedule an appointment or learn more.