Childhood cancer survivors less likely to marry, Yale researchers findNovember 03, 2009Adult survivors of childhood cancer are 20 to 25 percent more likely to never marry compared with siblings and the general population, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in a new study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Nina Kadan-Lottick, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine, and colleagues studied almost 9,000 adult survivors of childhood cancer participating in the multisite Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. The team evaluated the frequency of marriage and divorce rates among survivors compared with their sibling groups in the U.S. Census data. Participants completed mailed surveys every two to three years on their health and psychosocial status in an ongoing study. Results showed that an estimated 42 percent of survivors were married, 7.3 percent were separated or divorced and 46 percent were never married. Patients who were previously treated for a brain tumor were 50 percent more likely than siblings and the general U.S. population to never marry. Of the childhood cancer survivors who did marry, divorce patterns were similar to their peers. "Our findings suggest that in addition to the long-term physical effects of cancer, such as short stature, poor physical functioning and cognitive problems, social implications also exist," said Kadan-Lottick, who is a member of Yale Cancer Center. Kadan-Lottick estimates that over 80 percent of children with cancer will be cured of their disease. She and her colleagues conducted the study to measure long-term outcomes in this growing population of childhood cancer survivors. Marriage is one of the indicators of an adult's integration in society. "Studies such as ours are important to understand how childhood cancer survivors function in our society," said Lottick. "Separate studies are underway to better understand factors that contribute to other adult benchmarks such as living independently, achieving higher education and personal income." Yale University |
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| Related Childhood Cancer Current Events and Childhood Cancer News Articles Children with autism show slower pupil responses, MU study finds Autism affects 1 in 150 children today, making it more common than childhood cancer, juvenile diabetes and pediatric AIDS combined. Brain tumors in childhood leave a lasting mark on cognition, life status Brain tumors in childhood cast a long shadow on survivors. The first study of the lasting impact of these tumors -- the most common solid malignancies in childhood -- shows that survivors have ongoing cognitive problems. Childhood cancer survivors experience suicidal thoughts decades after diagnosis Adult survivors of childhood cancer have an increased risk for suicidal thoughts, even decades after their cancer treatments ended, according to a study led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists. Survivors of childhood cancer less likely to marry Childhood cancer survivors typically suffer from the long-term effects of cancer treatment on physical health, and results of a new study suggest that social implications also exist, which may affect their chance of an "I do" at the altar. New treatment more than doubles survival for high risk childhood leukemia Results of a phase two clinical trial published October 5th in the Journal of Clinical Oncology show that adding continuous daily doses of a targeted drug called imatinib mesylate to regular chemotherapy more than doubled three-year survival rates for children with a high risk type of blood cancer called Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL). Studies find few risks to newborn offspring of parents who are childhood cancer survivors Whether they can have children is one of the major concerns for adult survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer because fertility can be compromised by cancer treatment. Scientists link genetic glitches to common childhood cancer A multicenter team of childhood cancer researchers has discovered two genetic variations linked to an increased risk for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, the most common childhood cancer in the United States. Inherited risk factors increase odds of developing childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have identified inherited variations in two genes that account for 37 percent of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), including a gene that may help predict drug response. Cancer Mortality Rates Experience Steady Decline The number of cancer deaths has declined steadily in the last three decades. Although younger people have experienced the steepest declines, all age groups have shown some improvement, according to a recent report in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Cancer mortality rates experience steady decline The number of cancer deaths has declined steadily in the last three decades. Although younger people have experienced the steepest declines, all age groups have shown some improvement. More Childhood Cancer Current Events and Childhood Cancer News Articles |
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