But for other children, there is cause for concern about the future. The surgery, radiation and chemotherapy used to cure children often affects growing bodies and developing minds. Survivors may be predisposed to learning disabilities, seizures, blindness, heart problems, other cancers and sterility. Experts say some survivors will have emotional and social problems, some will encounter insurance and employment challenges, and some will have ongoing health problems related to treatment. While survivors and their families are ever-grateful for the gift of life, they continue to hold out hope for improvement in their quality of life.
Medical advances give life but present challenges.
Fifty years later, radiation slightly increased the odds of survival. Today, cancer is controllable in virtually every form, meaning survival for tens of thousands of children. Most survivors are thriving. Yet many emerge with a new set of concerns. Chronic illnesses among long-term survivors could become a national health problem, say the authors of Survivors.