• About
  • Masthead
  • License Content
  • Advertise
  • Submit Press Release
  • RSS/Email List
  • Write for us
  • Contact us
2 Minute Medicine
No Result
View All Result

No products in the cart.

SUBSCRIBE
  • Specialties
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • Wellness
  • Classics™
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • AccountLog-in/out
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account
2 Minute Medicine
  • Specialties
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • Wellness
  • Classics™
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • AccountLog-in/out
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account
SUBSCRIBE
2 Minute Medicine
Subscribe
Home All Specialties Chronic Disease

Therapy advancements not correlated with improved health status for adult survivors of childhood cancer

byEvelyn NguyenandDeepti Shroff Karhade
November 8, 2016
in Chronic Disease, Oncology, Pediatrics
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

1. Although there was an overall decline in radiation exposure, mean chemotherapy doses, and the percentage of patients with severe chronic health conditions, there was not an improvement in health status over the treatment decades from 1970-1999.

2. As in the general population, risk factors such as obesity, smoking, and inactivity were associated with adverse health status in survivors, so survivors may be able to improve their health status by modifying such risk factors.

Evidence Rating Level: 3 (Average)

Study Rundown: Although advances in treatments for childhood cancers has increased the number of survivors, many survivors report adverse health conditions as adults. This cross-sectional study studied the self-reported health status of 14 566 adults who were childhood cancer survivors across 3 treatment decades (1970s, 1980s, and 1990s) and were participants in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS). The health status information was compared to the siblings of the survivors to look for any associations between adverse health status and treatment decade. Over time, there have been reductions in late mortality, and the proportion of survivors with severe chronic health conditions have declined. However, survivors diagnosed in the 90s were more likely than those diagnosed in the 70s to report poor general health and cancer-related anxiety. Overall declines in radiation exposure and mean chemotherapy doses were not correlated with changes in the percentage of survivors who reported adverse health outcomes. As in the general population, risk factors such as obesity, smoking, and inactivity were associated with adverse health status in survivors. Therefore, survivors may be able to improve their health status by modifying such risk factors.

A strength of this study was that it sought to evaluate how temporal changes in cancer therapy have effected the health status of adult childhood cancer survivors. The issue of whether or not the reduced toxicity of more recent cancer treatments resulted in better health outcomes for survivors had not been previously assessed. One limitation of the study was the lack of adjustment for multiplicity for parallel comparisons, which means that simply chance could account for some of the findings. Secondly, some survivors who were eligible for CCSS declined to participate, which means that participants could have been in poorer or better health than those who did not participate. Also, it was difficult to determine how improved survival due to therapeutic advancements may have effected later health status. In addition, the evaluation of personal risk factors on health was completed at the same time health status was ascertained, which prevents the temporality of this connection from being determined.

Click to read the study in Annals of Internal Medicine

Relevant Reading: Clinical ascertainment of health outcomes among adults treated for childhood cancer

RELATED REPORTS

Wellness Check: Sleep

Increases in muscle-strengthening activities may reduce mortality risk and certain diseases

COVID-19 pandemic associated with reductions in delivery of cancer care services in Ontario, Canada

In-Depth [cross-sectional study]: This study included 14 566 adults who participated in the CCSS and survived for at least 5 years after their initial diagnosis. Childhood cancer survivors who were treated from 1970-1999 at 27 North American institutions were studied. A questionnaire was completed by both the survivors and siblings who were 18 years or older. Physical and mental health, chronic health conditions, demographics, health habits, patient diagnosis, and treatment methods were evaluated. Survivors diagnosed in the 90s were more likely than those diagnosed in the 70s to report poor general health (13.7% vs. 11.2%; p < 0.001) and anxiety related to cancer (15.0% vs 13.3%, p < 0.001). Compared to their siblings, a higher proportion of survivors reported adverse health status in any of the domains studied. Although there was an overall decline in radiation exposure, mean chemotherapy doses, and the percentage of patients with severe chronic health conditions (33.4% for those treated in the 70s and 21.0% for those treated in the 90s), there was not an improvement in health status over the treatment decades. A possible explanation for this could be that treatment advances could enable children in more recent decades to survive who may have died in earlier decades. These children might be the ones reporting more adverse health outcomes. Also, even though early detection and treatment may have helped reduce mortality, it could have a negative effect on the perception of health status, which might cause survivors to report worse health. Thirdly, survivors who were treated more recently may have had access to better follow-up care and information about later medical effects, which may have led to a higher likelihood of expecting or reporting adverse health outcomes.

Image: PD

©2016 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. All rights reserved. No works may be reproduced without expressed written consent from 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. Inquire about licensing here. No article should be construed as medical advice and is not intended as such by the authors or by 2 Minute Medicine, Inc.

Tags: cancer
Previous Post

Flavored e-cigarette use associated with higher smoking risks in youth

Next Post

State legislation linked to increase in HPV vaccination in teenage girls

RelatedReports

Sleep duration, sleepiness, chronotype have variable associations with teen self-regulation
Wellness

Wellness Check: Sleep

May 26, 2022
Exercise improves aromatase inhibitor-induced arthralgia in breast cancer survivors
Cardiology

Increases in muscle-strengthening activities may reduce mortality risk and certain diseases

May 3, 2022
Chronic Disease

COVID-19 pandemic associated with reductions in delivery of cancer care services in Ontario, Canada

April 29, 2022
Variability in interpretation of breast biopsy slides associated with low verification of atypia and ductal carcinoma in situ
Oncology

Comparison of mastectomy and breast reconstruction versus conservative surgery with radiation

April 26, 2022
Next Post
Decreased prevalence of HPV among vaccinated young females

State legislation linked to increase in HPV vaccination in teenage girls

Patient-reported outcomes differ significantly based on treatment in prostate cancer: The ProtecT trial

2 Minute Medicine Rewind November 7, 2016

Lactation associated with improved blood pressure after gestational hypertension

Human donor milk equivalent to preterm formula for neurodevelopment in very-low-birth-weight infants

License Our Award-Winning Physician-Written Medical News and Visual Abstracts

2 Minute Medicine is the leading authoritative medical news licensing service, and the only with reports written by practicing doctors.

LICENSE CONTENT

Get 2MM+ Premium Access

No ads & unlimited access to all current reports, over 9000 searchable archived reports, visual abstracts, Weekly Rewinds, and the online edition of The Classics Series™ textbook.

Subscription Options
2 Minute Medicine

2 Minute Medicine® is an award winning, physician-run, expert medical media company. Our content is curated, written and edited by practicing health professionals who have clinical and scientific expertise in their field of reporting. Our editorial management team is comprised of highly-trained MD physicians. Join numerous brands, companies, and hospitals who trust our licensed content.

Recent Reports

  • Wellness Check: Sleep
  • Mediterranean diet superior to low-fat diet in secondary prevention of cardiovascular events
  • Early onset Lewy Body Dementia is more clinically distinct from Alzheimer Dementia than late onset Lewy Body Dementia
License Content
Terms of Use | Disclaimer
Cookie Policy
Privacy Statement (EU)
Disclaimer

© 2021 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. - Physician-written medical news.

  • Specialties
    • Cardiology
    • Chronic Disease
    • Dermatology
    • Emergency
    • Endocrinology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Imaging and Intervention
    • Infectious Disease
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstetrics
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Pediatrics
    • Preclinical
    • Psychiatry
    • Public Health
    • Pulmonology
    • Rheumatology
    • Surgery
  • Wellness
  • Classics™
    • 2MM+ Online Access
    • Paperback and Ebook
  • Rewinds
  • Visual
  • Partners
    • License Content
    • Submit Press Release
    • Advertise with Us
  • Account
    • Subscribe
    • Sign-in
    • My account

© 2021 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. - Physician-written medical news.