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Alberta researchers look to help adult survivors of childhood cancer

CALGARY- Nearly 75 per cent of childhood cancer survivors develop serious long term side effects related to their treatment. Now, a province-wide study is looking to find out how well those conditions are being managed within Alberta’s health system.

“We want to understand their medical follow up, their quality of life and their psychological and emotional well being,” explains Dr. Kathy Reynolds, medical director at the Long-term Survivor Clinic at the Alberta Children’s Hospital.

As they age, survivors of childhood cancers face an increased risk of psychological distress, impaired heart and lung function, obesity, osteoporosis, infertility and secondary cancers.

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Researchers are looking to recruit former patients of either the Alberta Children’s Hospital Long-term Survivor Clinic or the Kids with Cancer Society Survivor Program at the Stollery Children’s Hospital, who are between the ages of 20 and 40.

“We’ll use the information [from survivors] to identify any gaps that are apparent in the current system and then use that information to improve survivorship care in Alberta.”
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To learn more about the story or to register visit the Kids Cancer Cancer website.

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