Pediatric Cancer Survivors

Pediatric survivors of cancer face many of the issues that adult survivors face, yet pediatric survivors also face complications due to differing levels of maturity and development. Experts in pediatric survivorship stress that each pediatric survivor is unique and requires a care plan tailored to his or her needs; however, there are three areas of care that are very important to consider in treating pediatric survivors: Learning, Relationships, and Emotional Issues.

Learning

Many studies have reported learning problems among pediatric cancer survivors. Just like adult cancer survivors, many pediatric survivors experience fatigue.  In the classroom or while doing homework, this fatigue can translate into difficulty paying attention and a lack of focus. These issues combined with the new emotional issues brought on by a pediatric cancer diagnosis can be very frustrating, and the combination can lead to more complicated learning problems. If your child is experiencing problems in school after a cancer diagnosis, you should consult his or her physician as soon as possible.

Relationships

A cancer diagnosis can profoundly affect relationships of any nature at any age; however, in growing and developing children, the effects on relationships can be very different than that of adults. Children can be self-conscious of their appearance changing due to cancer, and they can be embarassed by the changes cancer has inflicted on their lives and their bodies. As a result, many experts suggest that peer, parent, family, and authority figure relationships may all change or suffer. While it is most important to seek the counsel of your child's physician in addressing these issues, there are few proactive steps that might help ease the transition from normal life to life as a survivor. The National Children's Cancer Society suggests pediatric survivors:

• Exercise
• Find, recognize, and utilize unique skills
• Create a space that is uniquely their own (e.g. a bedroom or playroom)

Emotional Issues

Pediatric surivors experience many of the emotional issues (e.g. stress, depression, anxiety) that adult survivors face; however, varying stages of development and maturity can cause the issues to manifest themselves in very different ways. Moreover, it is very important to be proactive in dealing with all survivorship needs of a pediatric survivor. The National Children's Cancer Society suggests that parents talk to their children about the possible issues and speak to the survivor's physician about treatment and management of the issues.

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