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Long-term care of childhood cancer survivors 'needs GPs'

18/02/2008

Family doctors should help to manage the long-term health of childhood cancer survivors into adulthood, researchers said today.

A study in the Lancet medical journal says as few as 17 per cent of people who survived cancer while children receive follow-up care at the age of 35.

This care is said to be vital as these survivors are at particularly high risk of physical and psychosocial effects of treatment or possible recurrence of cancers.

Long-term follow-up of these patients can identify any problems at an early stage.

Dutch researchers assessed the feasibility of GPs being involved in long-term follow-up care in 123 survivors of childhood cancers.

Patients made two visits to a dedicated follow-up clinic interspersed with a visit to a local family doctor where potential long-term late effects were assessed and discussed.

Nine out of ten patients said they were satisfied with the shared care, as were 82 per cent of the participating doctors.

The Lancet study concludes that shared care is feasible and might increase the number of people under surveillance for adverse effects.

"Clear advantages of follow-up care given by local family doctors rather than by hospital staff include less patient travel, shorter waiting times, better patient familiarity with surroundings (ie, the doctor's practice), and less stigmatisation," the researchers conclude.

"As survivors grow older and possibly develop additional chronic illnesses of age, access to care in the context of total health needs is more useful."