DUARTE, Calif., April 27, 2009 — Today, City of Hope applauded Congresswoman Jackie Speier (12th District-CA) and Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack (45th District-CA) for their introduction of the “Childhood Cancer Survivorship Research and Quality of Life Act of 2009,” which lays the foundation for increased awareness and federal funding strategies to address the long-term health care needs of childhood cancer survivors.
 
“Over the past three decades, we have made great strides in treating childhood cancer, but there are still many questions on the health status, functioning and quality of life for these patients following their treatment,” said Smita Bhatia, chair, Department of Population Sciences, City of Hope. “This bill will help establish a comprehensive, national agenda that will improve follow-up care for survivors, invest in training and education for health care providers, and provide research opportunities to further our knowledge to better monitor and treat this growing population.”

Within the last 30 years, treatment for childhood cancer has improved significantly, and more children are being cured of cancer.  But as they grow up, they may develop long-term complications related to the cancer treatment that they received.  Some patients have no side effects while others may develop one or more problems related to their cancer treatment.  Therefore, continued medical evaluation and follow-up care by a team of healthcare professionals knowledgeable about long-term effects of pediatric cancer treatment are an important addition to routine healthcare for all childhood cancer survivors.