(NAPSA)—According to the American Cancer Society, there’s some good news about childhood cancer: The vast majority of children with cancer will survive for many years. While cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease for children underthe age of 15, more kids are living, more families remain whole, and more days once filled with grief are spent celebratinglife. The advancements in childhood cancer treatments are astounding. That said, there are challenges that become more pressing every day as a result of this positive trend. Treating cancer isn’t easy on the doctors, researchers and, especially, the patients. With cancer, the goal is survival and the methods are often harsh and come with long-term effects. The Problem For many children, survival is only half the battle. Certain health problemscalled late effects often arise, including heart, lung and kidney issues. Often, health care providers for adults who have survived childhood cancer are in the dark as to what treatments were used and what the effects may have been. This makes selecting the proper protocols for adulthood health care very difficult. A Resource Drs. Lillian Meacham and Ann Mertens at the Aflac Cancer Center in Atlanta understand these effects better than most and have dedicated their careers to helping young people survive the cure as well as the cancer itself. They also created SurvivorLink. Endowed in part by Aflac, it is the only statewide Web-based data source for childhood cancer survivors. SurvivorLink LINK TO CARE AFTER CANCER ‘www.concerSurvivorLink.org sa Sy oe i, 10,400 CHILDREN FIFTEEN UNDER THE AGE OF ARE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER Learn Sto re Share 66% oF apbuit SURVIVORS HAD AT LEAST ONE CHRONIC CONDITION FROM ee Ee eee eeesee COREEfe FOR PEDIATRIC e@oceoeevee0on0;o CANCERIS SS S5e Sos 38 80% oe CANCERSURVIVORLINK.ORG Affac Until recently, many childhood cancer survivors were unaware of the effect their treatments could have on their long-term health. The site provides a cache ofinformation for doctors and nurses who treat cancer survivors. These medical professionals can access health records online and understand the diagnosis and treatments that were used to fight the cancer and better approach future health care decisions armed with knowledge that in the past was either forgotten or not recorded in an accessible format. Researchers also use the source to study the long-term effect of chemotherapy and radiation on children and develop new protocols. David R. Freyer, Director of the LIFE Cancer Survivorship & Transition Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and Member of the Survivorship & Outcomes Steering Committee of the Children’s Oncology Group, agrees that SurvivorLink helps researchers and providers who treat patients after the cancer is cured. “Many young patients are unaware of the details around their cancer treatments,” Dr. Freyer says. “SurvivorLink at the Aflac Cancer Center helps gather and coordinate treatment information that can be used to make decisions that benefit childhood cancer survivors throughout their lives.” Learn More To find out more about SurvivorLink, go to www.cancersur vivorlink.org. To find out more 7 about Aflac’s $80 million comA new online resource can help mitment to children’s cancer people who survived childhood treatment and research, go to cancerlead healthier adult lives. www.Aflac.com.
