title: General health status and late effects among adolescent and young adult survivors of childhood cancer in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to investigate general health status and late effects among adolescent and young adult survivors of childhood cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional survey, using self-rated questionnaires on current and past health problems. Questionnaires were provided to childhood cancer survivors, a comparison group of siblings and a general population control group that was recruited online. χ(2) tests were used to compare responses to the 72 survey items.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The final sample included 185 childhood cancer survivors (72% response rate), 72 siblings and 1000 general population controls. In the childhood cancer survivors group, the median age of diagnosis was 8 years and the median age at survey was 23 years. According to the physicians' reports, 56% of the childhood cancer survivors experienced at least one late effect. In descending order of prevalence, the current symptoms in the childhood cancer survivors group were (i) impaired visual acuity (45%), (ii) dizziness (36%) and (iii) any allergy (34%). The three most common symptoms had similar prevalence rates in each of the groups. As compared with the control group, the following physical symptoms were significantly more common in the childhood cancer survivors group: mental retardation (odds ratio: 48.6, P < 0.01); cataract (odds ratio: 29.7); suspected infertility (odds ratio: 25.1); delayed puberty (odds ratio 24.9); growth hormone deficiency (odds ratio: 23.0); and other audiovisual, urinary, endocrine, infertility, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, spinal, extremity and neuromuscular problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many adolescent/young adult childhood cancer survivors could be suffering from ongoing late effects that stem from cancer and its treatment. Overall health monitoring for childhood cancer survivors can provide indispensable benefits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume ohzono_shyuuichi@kurume-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozono
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, St. Luke's International Hospital, Tokyo Children's Medical Center, Ehime Prefectural Central Hospital, Matsuyama.
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Ehime University School of Medicine, Toon.
authors.forename: Misato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, National Kyushu Cancer Center, Fukuoka.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Okamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Niigata Cancer Center Hospital, Niigata.
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asami
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, National Hospital Organization Nagoya Medical Center, Nagoya.
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume.
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inada
authors.affiliation: Department of Hemato-oncology, Shikoku Medical Center for Children and Adults, Zentsuji.
authors.forename: Tsuyako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwai
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Nursing, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Kiyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamibeppu
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kakee
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, National Hospital Organization Nagoya Medical Center, Nagoya Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Nagoya Medical Center, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Keizo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Horibe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011788:Quality of Life; D057566:Self Report; D035781:Siblings; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: childhood cancer survivors; general health status; late effects