Pediatric Cancer Survivorship

The Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivorship Program at City of Hope provides specialized follow-up care for patients who have completed treatment for cancer or a similar illness that was diagnosed before 40 years of age.

Patients who participate in this program are seen every year in a clinic specially designed to meet the long-term follow-up needs of survivors of childhood, adolescent and young adult cancer. They are evaluated by a team of health care professionals who have expertise in survivorship issues, including a physician or nurse practitioner, a dietitian and a psychologist or social worker. Patients receive individualized screening and monitoring for potential health issues that sometimes occur after cancer treatment. They also have the opportunity to talk to the survivorship team about their previous cancer treatment, its potential impact on their health and ways to stay as healthy as possible.

Patients also receive a personalized summary of the details of their cancer treatment and guidelines for continued monitoring, including recommendations for preventive care and information about available resources and services. Our goal is to help each survivor stay as healthy as possible, and to prevent problems from happening or catch them early, when they are most easily treated.

This program is carried out in collaboration with each patient’s primary health care and treatment team and is part of the research program here at City of Hope.

For more information, please visit the Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivorship Program website or email survivorship@coh.org.
 
Pediatric Survivorship Care Team
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Saro H. Armenian, D.O., M.P.H.
Pediatric Hematologist-Oncologist
Duarte - Main Campus

Pediatric hematologist-oncologist Saro Armenian, D.O., M.P.H., is the Barron Hilton Chair in Pediatrics, with expertise in pediatric cancer, epidemiology and cancer survivorship.

Rusha Bhandari
Rusha Bhandari, M.D., M.S.
Pediatric Hematologist-Oncologist
Duarte - Main Campus

Rusha Bhandari, M.D., M.S., is an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Department of Populations Sciences at City of Hope.

Jeanelle Folbrecht, Ph.D.
Duarte - Main Campus

Jeanelle Folbrecht, Ph.D., psychologist | City of Hope, California.

Natalie Kelly, Ph.D.
Duarte - Main Campus

Natalie Kelly, Ph.D., ABPP-CN, is an associate clinical professor of psychology and clinical neuropsychologist, Division of Psychology, in the Department of Supportive Care Medicine.

Sunita Patel
Duarte - Main Campus

Sunita Patel, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the departments of Supportive Care Medicine and Population Sciences.

Liz Cooke, R.N., Ph.D.
Liz Cooke, R.N., Ph.D.
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Liz is a nurse practitioner who has over 30 years of experience in oncology. She has worked in various areas of oncology, but has a special interest in the care of bone marrow and stem cell transplant patients. In addition, Liz has an extensive background in clinical research focusing on educational interventions post-transplant and building resilience. She is a member of the Childhood and Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivorship Program. Education Master’s in Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles Ph.D., Northcentral University. Certified as a nurse practitioner since 1991 Licenses and Affiliations Licensed with the California Board of Nursing Advanced practice professional certifications in oncology, adult and geriatrics, and psychiatric and mental health
Karla Wilson, R.N., MSN, FNP-C
Karla Wilson, R.N., MSN, FNP-C
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Karla is a nurse practitioner who has more than 45 years’ experience in pediatric oncology and a special interest in children with brain tumors. She oversees the Childhood and Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivorship Program and provides clinical care to this group of patients. Education Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing Master’s in Child Health Nursing, University of Missouri Postmaster’s Certification as a Family Nurse Practitioner at USC Licenses and Affiliations Licensed by the California Board of Nursing Founding member and developer, national certification program for pediatric oncology nurses Served as president of the Certification Corporation of Pediatric Oncology Nurses (CCPON) and board of directors member for the Oncology Nurses Certification Corporation (ONCC) Served as president of the Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses (APHON) Active in the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) primarily as a member of the COG Nursing Committee and the Late Effects committee