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REACH for the STARS Survivorship Program at Connecticut Children's Medical Center
The REACH for the STARS Program (REACH: Research, Education, Advocacy, Continued life and Health; STARS: Survivors Tackling All Roadblocks Successfully) at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center is designed to provide guidance and ongoing support to pediatric cancer survivors in an effort to help them improve and maintain a high quality and successful life.
A “STAR” or Survivor Tackling All Roadblocks is born every few seconds in the United States as more and more individuals with cancer survive. Success in the treatment of childhood cancer has led the way with cure rates continuing to climb to nearly 80% due to the enrollment of a majority of childhood cancer patients into cooperative clinical trials. Armed with the results of these clinical trials, we are reaching our ultimate goal, 100% cure.
Unfortunately, impressive gains in survival have been achieved at a price. Combination treatment, which may have included surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation may lead to late effects in two-thirds of childhood cancer survivors. Late effects are unique to cancer survivors and medical providers are not educated in the diagnosis and surveillance of these effects.
This survivorship clinic and program specifically addresses these side effects and develops individualized surveillance recommendations for our STARS. We educate our STARS to develop autonomy of their health care and encourage a healthy lifestyle.
Services:
- comprehensive treatment summaries
- individualized surveillance for late effects
- health & wellness information
- educational outreach events
- college scholarships
- a specialized web site for STARS
For more information about the REACH for the STARS Survivorship Program, please visit www.starssurvivorshipclinic.com.
Connecticut Children's Medical Center
282 Washington Street
Hartford, CT 06101
860-545-9000
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