Transitions in the care of adolescent and young adult survivors of childhood cancer

Grading of late effects in young adult survivors of childhood cancer followed in an ambulatory adult setting

“…8 Although transition programs have been suggested as a potential method of long term follow-up of young adult survivors, to our knowledge little has been written regarding the structure and health care provided by such a program. [7][8][9][10][11] The current study presents an example of an interdisciplinary transition program based in an adult-oriented ambulatory care setting that links the expertise of the pediatric oncology team, family physicians, and a network of pediatric and adult subspecialists.…”

“…6 Multidisciplinary transition programs, combining the expertise of pediatric oncologists with health care providers experienced in the health needs of adult patients, have been recommended as a possible mechanism for the long term follow-up of childhood cancer survivors. [7][8][9][10][11] However, to our knowledge few programs exist that combine these areas of expertise in the care of adult survivors of childhood cancer. 6 The purpose of the current study was to: 1) describe a multidisciplinary transition program for following young adult survivors of childhood cancer in an adult-based ambulatory medical setting and 2) to report the late effects with grades of toxicity diagnosed in the first 96 adult survivors who were followed in the program.…”

A jeep trip with young adult cancer survivors

“…Professional contact with young adult survivors tends to take place mainly in follow-up clinics, where most of the work is carried out by medical and paramedical practitioners and on an individual basis [12,18]. There are some reports of implementing support groups [24], family therapy [14], and workshops which offer combined psychosocial and psycho-educational interventions [27].…”

Providing Quality Care in Childhood Cancer Survivorship: Learning From the Past, Looking to the Future

“…These programs are often similar to a traditional pediatric oncology program, however, there is no age restriction and these programs follow survivors into adulthood. These programs may include an adult oncologist and an internist as part of the team (DeLaat & Lampkin, 1992; Schwartz, Hobbie, & Constine, 1994; Hollen & Hobbie, 1995;Ma-cLean, Foley, Ruccione, & Sklar, 1996). In the 1990s, particular attention has been focused on the emerging population of adult survivors of childhood cancer.…”

“…This team approach is often viewed as ideal but has proven to be the most difficult to establish. Barriers to developing these programs include lack of funding, lack of available providers invested in survivorship issues, and deficiencies in insurance coverage (Meadows & Hobbie, 1986; Friedman, Hobbie, & Meadows, 1998;Hollen & Hobbie, 1995;MacLean, et al). The opportunity to follow survivors during their life span offers the greatest opportunity to learn about the effects of cancer treatment and the aging process while offering the survivor the greatest benefits of education, early identification, and intervention.…”