City of Hope has received a $100,000 grant from the Hearst Foundations to expand enrollment in the Childhood Cancer Survivorship Program, which provides long-term health monitoring for childhood cancer survivors.
The grant will allow the center to provide services for more childhood cancer survivors from underserved populations.
Childhood cancer can be a lifelong burden. Survivors are vulnerable to significant and chronic health challenges. Complications are related to cancer treatment and may include heart, lung and bone problems, disorders of the hormone system and development of new cancers, as well as memory problems and social and psychological difficulties. Nearly two-thirds of all childhood cancer survivors experience at least one long-term or late treatment-related complication, and about a quarter develop a complication that is serious or life-threatening.
To catch these effects early or prevent them from happening, the Center for Cancer Survivorship provides survivors with medically advanced follow-up care, as well as health education and advocacy tools. The staff also helps survivors successfully navigate the health-care system and get recommended screening, preventive care and treatment.
By focusing on each survivor’s individual health risks and wellness, the center encourages survivors to take steps to protect their health, improving their long-term well-being. The center is committed to supporting childhood cancer survivors’ quality of life through adulthood. Eligibility criteria for the program include a diagnosis of cancer at age 21 or younger, currently in remission, at least five years since diagnosis and two years off treatment. There is no upper age limit for program participants.
“This generous grant from the Hearst Foundations will enable us to impact cancer survivorship by reducing the barriers to timely follow-up care,” said Smita Bhatia, M.D., M.P.H., medical director of the Center for Cancer Survivorship and chair of the Division of Population Sciences. “Too many cancer survivors become lost in the transition from cancer patient to cancer survivor. The survivorship clinic is working to ensure survivors are empowered with knowledge about their cancer and treatment for its late effects.”
Nearly 300,000 children in the United States have survived cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute, and the number of childhood cancer survivors is expected to grow as treatments improve and the population ages.
“City of Hope has an outstanding team assembled to lead this remarkable group,” said Paul “Dino” Dinovitz, executive director of the foundations. “Dr. Bhatia and her staff have made great strides in understanding the long-term effects of pediatric cancer and its treatment on survivors. The Center for Cancer Survivorship is an ideal fit for our foundations’ support.”
The Hearst Foundations are committed to supporting programs that seek to improve and assure access to quality health care for underserved populations in both urban and rural areas.
