Childhood Survivors of Cancer Face Greater Across-the-Board Physical and Mental Trials as Adults

Adults who underwent chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer as children generally face greater limitations in daily life and overall decreased productivity, according to a study published in the May 24, 2010, online Cancer journal.

“Adult survivors of childhood cancer experience poorer health, more medical illnesses, greater limitations in daily functioning and decreased productivity compared with adults who did not have cancer as children,” stated a press release by the American Cancer Society, publisher for Cancer.

Emily Dowling, MHS, and colleagues compared the reported health and functional abilities of 410 adult survivors of childhood cancer with 294,641 adults without cancer. A total of 24.3 percent of the survivors, compared to 10.9 percent of the other group, were more likely to report a health status of fair or poor. The survivors also were more likely to be unable to work due to health problems, 20.9 percent versus 6.3 percent, and were limited by health problems in the amount or kind of work they could perform, the press release stated.

Childhood cancer survivors in the study missed an average of 69.3 days of work in a year due to health problems, according to the report.

"Our study suggests that adult survivors of childhood cancer deserve special medical attention and may benefit from interventions to improve their health and productivity," Dowling said.