Patterns of Loss to Follow-Up Care Among Childhood Cancer Survivors.

Content Provider	Europe PMC
Author	Rokitka, Denise A. Curtin, Colleen Heffler, Jennifer E. Zevon, Michael A. Attwood, Kris Mahoney, Martin C.
Copyright Year	2017
Abstract	Purpose: Surveillance for long-term complications related to previous cancer therapy can help diagnose/manage chronic health conditions in childhood cancer survivors and improve survivor quality of life. However, a challenge to delivering long-term care to childhood cancer survivors is loss to follow-up; many patients discontinue care at specialized survivor care centers. The purpose of this study was to examine patterns of loss to follow-up among a cohort of childhood cancer survivors. Methods: This retrospective study examined follow-up patterns among a nonrandom representative sample of 370 childhood cancer survivors among 1116 patients from a single institution. The median age of patients at diagnosis was 10.2 years (range <1–21). Factors potentially related to follow-up were utilized to evaluate patterns of follow-up across 5-year intervals following completion of active therapy. The association between patient characteristics and follow-up was evaluated using univariate and multivariate binomial regression models. Results: The probability of follow-up 1–5 years post-treatment was 91.2% (89.7%–92.5%) but dropped to 68.5% (66.2%–70.8%) during years 6–10, 47.7% (45.0%–50.3%) during years 11–15, and continued to steadily decrease over time. Overall, white race, diagnoses at younger ages, patients with lymphomas/leukemias, and decade of diagnosis were each associated with somewhat better rates of follow-up. Conclusions: These findings highlight the lack of follow-up by adult survivors of childhood cancer with only approximately one-half of patients returning for follow-up 10 years after completion of therapy. Interventions focused on educating both patients and primary care physicians may help to increase long-term follow-up care among this at-risk population.
Related Links	https://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC5824664&blobtype=pdf
Page Count	7
ISSN	21565333
Volume Number	6
DOI	10.1089/jayao.2016.0023
PubMed Central reference number	PMC5824664
Issue Number	1
PubMed reference number	27529650
Journal	Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology [J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol]
e-ISSN	2156535X
Language	English
Publisher	Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
Publisher Date	2016-08-16
Publisher Place	USA
Access Restriction	Open
Rights License	Copyright 2017, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
Subject Keyword	follow-up care late effects long-term follow-up loss to follow-up survival survivorship
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health Oncology