MENUSurvivorship
The Sarcoma Survivorship Program is not seeing patients at this time. Please call our Cancer AnswerLine™ at 800-865-1125 for information on who can help you with your survivorship questions.
The following information about why long-term cancer survivors need specialized care is still accurate.
The Importance of Follow Up Care
The Children’s Cancer Survivorship Study reports more chronic illnesses in sarcoma survivors than other pediatric cancers.
Sarcoma survivors, despite being cured, may have a reduced life expectancy and sometimes show signs in their 30s and 40s of heart disease usually seen in older adults. Damage from chemotherapy and/or radiation puts survivors at risk for developing life-long chronic or life-threatening illnesses, including:
- heart disease
- type 2 diabetes
- high blood pressure
- lipid disorders
- kidney failure
- anxiety, depression and other mental health problems
- sarcoma recurrence
- new cancers
The good news is that these chronic illnesses can often be prevented or minimized.
Sarcoma survivors without symptoms may not realize the importance of ongoing follow-up care. The most common adverse effect of chemotherapy and radiation is coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD has a number of risk factors including hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and dyslipidemia. These risk factors are modifiable with lifestyle changes including diet and exercise and/or medication. By identifying and managing risk factors like hypertension early, we in turn reduce the risk for coronary artery disease and prolong survival.
Research shows that many cancer survivors are not engaged in recommended health promotion and screening practices that could improve their long-term outcomes. The transition from active treatment to post-treatment care is critical to long-term health. Since these medical problems occur much later in the general population, they often go undetected or misdiagnosed in sarcoma survivors, creating delays in intervention and treatment.