Appearing in Metroland publications, September 17, 2024

While more kids are being diagnosed with cancer, more are surviving. Ontario’s childhood cancer survival rate is now 85 per cent — up from about 70 per cent in the mid-1980s. And while surviving cancer is certainly the goal, the impacts of childhood cancer can last a lifetime.

Richard Lautens Toronto Star file photo

By Lauren Ettin and Dr. David Hodgson

Lauren Ettin is the chief executive officer of the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario. Dr. David Hodgson  is the medical director and chair in childhood cancer control for the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario, a radiation oncologist and clinician scientist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and associate staff at The Hospital for Sick Children.

Life for the Pugliese family changed forever when six-year-old Giacomo was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. For three years, they made countless trips to McMaster Children’s Hospital, watching their once-energetic little boy endure the challenges of cancer treatment, with interruptions to school and play dates.

Now 17, Giacomo’s treatment is behind him, but he is monitored regularly at the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO) AfterCare Clinic at McMaster Children’s Hospital for secondary cancers and heart issues — risks from his cancer and treatment. The clinic staff also emphasize the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle. His family is reassured that Giacomo will receive this crucial care for the rest of his life.

POGO’s network of clinics across Ontario play a vital role in the ongoing care of childhood cancer survivors, becoming an essential part of their lifelong health journey.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, a time to spotlight stories like Giacomo’s, which are increasingly common in Ontario.

While more kids are being diagnosed with cancer, more are surviving. Ontario’s childhood cancer survival rate is now 85 per cent — up from about 70 per cent in the mid-1980s. This is thanks to decades of clinical innovation, improvements in diagnostics and treatments, and approaches to addressing some of the related side effects.

While surviving cancer is certainly the goal, it is not where the journey ends. The impacts of childhood cancer can last a lifetime.

Childhood cancers are distinct from adult cancers in significant ways. For one thing, these cancers don’t result from lifestyle or diet. They come suddenly — and some are more likely to strike at a specific age. Typically, childhood cancers require intensive treatments, at major teaching hospitals, with highly specialized protocols. Consequently, care teams may be larger and include parents and caregivers as key decision makers.

A childhood cancer diagnosis impacts the whole family. One parent is often forced to give up work to manage the daily practicalities of their child’s care. Often, extensive travel or temporary relocation is required, uprooting families for months or sometimes years. This disruption reverberates, impacting extended family members, friends, teachers, classmates, work colleagues and communities.

Childhood cancers strike during a critical phase of development, when children and adolescents are marking key physical, mental and social milestones. As a result, two of every three survivors are at increased risk of at least one long-term side effect resulting from their cancer or its treatment, including heart disease, second cancers and cognitive challenges.

To address the unique complexities, ripple effects and long-term impacts of childhood cancer, POGO and its partners have built a system that provides wraparound care and support for children and families at every stage of the journey. Considered among the best in the world, Ontario’s childhood cancer system goes beyond diagnosis and treatment. Families are paired with nurses who help navigate the transition from hospital to home, and they can also access mental health services, financial supports, and programs that help survivors thrive into adulthood.

During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, it’s important to recognize the tremendous progress made in childhood cancer care. But there is more we can do to ensure kids not only survive, but thrive.

It is vital that children with cancer and their families have access to the best evidence-based treatments and supports, closer to home. This requires strong, ongoing collaboration between care teams, hospitals, nonprofits, government, regulatory bodies, industry and others.

Over the past decade, we have also seen an increasing need for mental health services, a need that is urgently felt among the many who are impacted by a childhood cancer diagnosis. These priorities and others will be key components of Ontario’s Childhood Cancer Care Plan 2024-2029, a road map developed by POGO and its partners to be published later this month.

Ontario must continue strengthening its world-class childhood cancer system so that survivors like Giacomo can count on having the treatments, resources and supports they need today — and for life.