A recent survey conducted by leading UK charity, CCLG (Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group), has revealed that almost 60% of childhood cancer survivors suffer from a range of health issues, impacting their emotional and mental health. Aside from physical issues, such as fatigue, heart failure, nerve damage, hearing loss, slow growth in height and bones, and infertility, the survey found that 57% of survivors reported an effect on their emotional wellbeing, including depression, trauma-related conditions such as PTSD and self-esteem issues.
To highlight the long-term impact of childhood cancer and its treatments, CCLG is sharing the stories of those affected this Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (September 2023). One such story is that of Ellen Bisci, 27, from Harrow, north-west London. Ellen was diagnosed with a form of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in 2005, before relapsing three years later and suffering a stroke. As a result, she suffers from a long list of late effects, including chronic migraines and fatigue, urinary dysfunction, and thyroid issues, in addition to focal epilepsy, memory and facial recognition issues, and intracranial hypertension.
Kimberley Hattersley-Barton, 25, from Halifax, was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma in 1999 when 13 months old. After undergoing surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, she was given the all-clear at two-and-a-half years old. However, she has since been diagnosed with cancer a further three times, and suffers from a range of long-term issues, including kidney, heart and ovarian failure, the latter of which led to her being told she was infertile last year.
Ashley Ball-Gamble, CEO CCLG, said: “This Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we want to share these findings in the hope that the public and professional bodies are more aware of the long-term challenges children with cancer face after treatment. We are in a unique position to feed back our findings to our members, so that we can influence positive change and help implement improvements in care and resources.”
Ellen added: “I’m extremely hopeful that with the newer treatments that are available now and that continue to be modified and found, late effects won’t be so impactful for childhood survivors in the future. It would be great to get to a stage where all children not only survive but do so without all these side effects.”
This September, CCLG is raising awareness of the long-term impact of childhood cancer and its treatments, in the hope of gaining a better understanding of the challenges faced by survivors. The charity is also encouraging donations to help fund research into finding kinder, more effective treatments with fewer long-term impacts.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.