Approximately 1 in 350 individuals in the United States develops cancer by the age of 20. Advances in treatment and supportive care have resulted in long-term survival rates of 80 percent. As a result of these advances, survivors of childhood cancer comprise 1 in 570 individuals between the ages of 20 to 24.
For the first time, there is a large population of individuals who have been cured of childhood cancer from the time they were treated. However, many of these long-term survivors now face significant risks to their health and well-being, which they must deal with for the remainder of their lives.
Learn more from Jean Tersak, MD, director of the follow-up Survivorship Clinic at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
