title: Social outcomes and quality of life of childhood cancer survivors in Japan: a cross-sectional study on marriage, education, employment and health-related QOL (SF-36).
abstract: Social outcomes and quality of life (QOL) of childhood cancer survivors (CCSs) remain unknown in Japan. We investigated these outcomes in young adult CCSs compared to those of their siblings in Japan, and analyzed the association between social outcome and SF-36 health survey subscale scores. Between 2007 and 2009, we performed a cross-sectional survey using self-rating questionnaires. We estimated social outcomes and health-related QOL by performing the SF-36 in each group: CCSs with or without stem cell transplantation (SCT)/radiotherapy (RT) and their siblings. Adjusted odds ratios for outcomes of interest were estimated using logistic regression analysis. Questionnaires from 185 CCSs and 72 CCS's siblings were analyzed. There were no differences in educational attainment or annual income. The SF-36 subscale scores of CCSs with SCT and RT were significantly lower than those of siblings in physical functioning (PF) (p < 0.001 and 0.003, respectively) and general health (GH) (both p = 0.001). Lower PF scores correlated with recurrence (p = 0.041) and late effects (p = 0.010), and poor GH scores with late effects (p = 0.006). The CCSs had made efforts to attain educational/vocational goals; however, a significant proportion of CCSs who had experienced late effects remain at increased risk of experiencing diminished QOL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, St. Luke's International Hospital, 10-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0044, Japan. yaishida@luke.or.jp.
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Japan.
authors.forename: Misato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Nursing, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kiyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamibeppu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozono
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Research, National Kyushu Cancer Center, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Okamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Niigata Cancer Center Hospital, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asami
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Center for Clinical Research, Nagoya Medical Center, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inada
authors.affiliation: Department of Hemato-Oncology, Kagawa Children's Hospital, Kagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsuyako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwai
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kakee
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Center for Clinical Research, Nagoya Medical Center, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Keizo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Horibe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D016017:Odds Ratio; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012107:Research Design; D035781:Siblings / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D012938:Social Perception; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult