Transition practices for survivors of childhood cancer: a report from the Children's Oncology Group.

Purpose: Pediatric healthcare systems must support childhood cancer survivors to optimize their transition to adult care. This study aimed to assess the state of healthcare transition services provided by Children's Oncology Group (COG) institutions.

Methods: A 190-question online survey was distributed to 209 COG institutions to assess survivor services, including transition practices, barriers, and implementation of services aligned with the six core elements of Health Care Transition 2.

Transitional care practices, services, and delivery in childhood cancer survivor programs: A survey study of U.S. survivorship providers.

Purpose: There are limited reports describing transition of young adult childhood cancer survivors (CCS) from pediatric to adult-focused survivorship care. The purpose of this study was to characterize current transitional care practices in the United States.

Project Description: An online survey was sent to one preselected respondent at 163 Children's Oncology Group member institutions in the United States.

Promoting the Shared-Care Model for Adolescent and Young Adults With Cancer: Optimizing Referrals and Care Coordination With Primary Care Providers.

Background: The "shared-care model" for patients with cancer involves care coordination between primary care providers (PCPs) and oncologists, with the goal of optimizing survivorship care. However, a high proportion of adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors do not have a PCP. Study objectives were to increase the percentage of AYAs with a PCP documented in the electronic medical record (EMR) via the use of a best practice advisory (BPA) or "stopgap" intervention; to increase communication between providers by the number of routed clinic notes; and to assess oncology providers' attitudes/beliefs about the model and intervention.

Models of Cancer Survivorship Care for Adolescents and Young Adults.

Objectives: To review the literature on adolescent and young adult (AYA) oncology, discuss survivorship models of care, and focus on the unique needs of AYA patients with transition of care from treatment to survivorship.

Data Sources: Peer-reviewed literature, workshop summaries, clinical practice guidelines.

Conclusion: Advancements have been made for AYAs with regard to identifying risk factors from cancer treatment and the need for ongoing follow-up care.

Health behaviors of minority childhood cancer survivors.

Background: Available data have suggested that childhood cancer survivors (CCSs) are comparable to the general population with regard to many lifestyle parameters. However, to the authors' knowledge, little is known regarding minority CCSs. This cross-sectional study describes and compares the body mass index and health behaviors of African American, Hispanic, and white survivors with each other and with noncancer controls.

Fertility Preservation Preferences and Perspectives Among Adult Male Survivors of Pediatric Cancer and Their Parents.

In this study, we set out to determine the preferences, concerns, and attitudes toward fertility preservation of adult male survivors of pediatric cancer and their parents. We conducted 3 focus groups with a total of 15 male survivors of pediatric cancer (age at diagnosis: mean=14, range: 10-20; age at study: mean=35, range: 25-47) and 2 groups with a total of 7 parents of survivors. Grounded theory methodology was used for the identification and analysis of recurrent themes expressed by survivors and their parents in the course of focus group discussions.

Scarring, disfigurement, and quality of life in long-term survivors of childhood cancer: a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor study.

Purpose: Childhood cancer survivors are at increased risk for adverse outcomes and chronic medical conditions. Treatment-related scarring, disfigurement, and persistent hair loss, in addition to their long-term impact on psychological distress or health-related quality of life (HRQOL), have received little attention.

Patients And Methods: Self-reported scarring/disfigurement and persistent hair loss were examined in 14,358 survivors and 4,023 siblings from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.

Cancer survivorship practices, services, and delivery: a report from the Children's Oncology Group (COG) nursing discipline, adolescent/young adult, and late effects committees.

Purpose: To describe survivorship services provided by the Children's Oncology Group (COG), an assessment of services was undertaken. Our overall aims were (1) to describe survivorship services, including the extent of services provided, resources (personnel, philanthropy, and research funding), billing practices, and barriers to care and 2) to describe models of care that are in use for childhood cancer survivors and adult survivors of childhood cancer.

Methods: One hundred seventy-nine of 220 COG institutions (81%) completed an Internet survey in 2007.

Dermatologic issues in adult survivors of childhood cancer.

Introduction: Common late effects experienced by childhood cancer survivors include: thyroid disturbances, pulmonary compromise, heart failure, and secondary neoplasms. Dermatologic issues have been largely unexplored.

Methods: This descriptive study consisted of an 8 item self-reported questionnaire on dermatologic issues and the Dermatology Life Quality Index.

Adult survivors of childhood cancer and their parents: experiences with survivorship and long-term follow-up.

To compare the perspectives of adult childhood cancer survivors and their parents in terms of: (1) parental involvement in the survivor's healthcare, (2) thoughts and discussion about their own or their son's/daughter's childhood cancer, (3) concern about the survivor's current health status, and (4) perceived benefits of follow-up care. Forty-two adult survivors and their parents completed a semistructured audio-taped interview via the phone responding to a parallel set of questions. Thirty-eight percent of survivors reported that one of their parents attended the adult survivor clinic with them; in 41% of patient-parent dyads the parent expressed more concern than their child about the child's health status; 45% of the parents reported thinking about the cancer experience more often than their child.

Monitoring for cardiovascular disease in survivors of childhood cancer: report from the Cardiovascular Disease Task Force of the Children's Oncology Group.

Curative therapy for childhood cancer has improved significantly in the last 2 decades such that, at present, approximately 80% of all children with cancer are likely to survive > or = 5 years after diagnosis. Prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of long-term sequelae of therapy have become increasingly more significant as survival rates continue to improve. Cardiovascular disease is a well-recognized cause of increased late morbidity and mortality among survivors of childhood cancer.

Quality of life in adult survivors of childhood cancer.

More children are surviving childhood cancer than ever before; however, little is known about these survivors' long-term quality of life (QOL). This study explores factors that might influence QOL in adult childhood cancer survivors. In a cross-sectional design, 70 of 100 eligible survivors from 1 long-term follow-up clinic completed a QOL and depression symptom measure.