As a survivor, you want to forget you ever had cancer. That's understandable, but follow-up care is as important to a healthy long-term survivorship as treatment was to curing your cancer.

Lack of follow-up care is a primary reason why adolescents and young adult survivors of cancer (YAS) have lower survival rates than younger and older survivors. YAS cancer survival rates have not improved at all during the last 25 years despite dramatic improvement in survival rates for children and older adults.

See Health Care of Young Adult Survivor of Childhood Cancer: A Report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. The report shows that:

	Most YAS’s are not aware of their risks and do not get the follow-up care they need.
	Many YAS’s don’t have medical insurance.
	In general, adolescents and young adults tend to see themselves as invincible, so they  don’t go for medical care.
	Doctors and nurses don’t suspect late effects, so problems can get missed.
	YAS’s are underrepresented in research studies and not well served by the health care system.

The primary thing you can do to maximize your chances for a long and healthy life is to have follow-up care for life. A follow-up care doctor or nurse focuses on your specific risks, based on your type of cancer, treatment, family history, lifestyle choices, and overall health. Your follow-up care team may also include social workers, rehabilitation specialists, psychologists, nutritionists, and other professionals who work with cancer survivors.

See Long-Term Follow-Up Guidelines for Survivors of Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancers from the Children's Oncology Group. These guidelines are developed as a resource for clinicians. Take them to your doctor.

So remember, you are not alone in the Survivor Zone! Have Follow-Up Care for Life.

Back to 5 Things to Know

Back to 5 Things to Do