Researchers at the CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center in Montreal have found that neuroblastoma survivors have significant long-term effects.
Neuroblastoma is a cancer that affects young children. Often this results in removing the tumor in the neck, chest, pelvis, abdomen or spinal cord, along with an aggressive treatment of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Survivors are eight times more likely to develop chronic diseases in adulthood. These health problems can be neurological, endocrine complications, sensory problems or musculoskeletal problems, for example.
In addition to health problems, the 954 survivors diagnosed between 1970 and 1986, were also less likely to get married and had an income less than their brothers or sisters.
It is therefore recommended that neuroblastoma survivors are closely monitored and followed after treatments, to reduce the impact that this disease may have on their life.
The results of this study were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.