This risk assessment tool predicts risk of heart failure, ischemic heart disease, and stroke by age 50 among survivors of childhood cancer. It uses information from the CCSS papers, “Individual prediction of heart failure among childhood cancer survivors” and “Prediction of ischemic heart disease and stroke among childhood cancer survivors”, which created clinically useful models with readily available demographic and cancer treatment information.

The Long-Term Follow-Up (LTFU) Study has resulted in more than 300 publications in scientific journals since it was launched in 1994. Some of these articles are summarized here.

You might not think of your spleen that much, but it’s been looking out for you. If you don’t have one, there are some things to know to keep yourself safe from infections.

American Cancer Society released their annual report on cancer facts and trends. The report reveals a milestone 70% 5-year survival rate for all cancers combined for those diagnosed between 2015-2021 in the United States, due to cancer research and treatment advancements. The report acknowledges that with increasing survival rates, there must be more emphasis on survivorship challenges.

Stanford onco-primary care physician and author Dr. Ilana Yurkiewicz turns her national keynote into a practical playbook for anyone navigating a complex medical journey. She pulls back the curtain on how fragmented our health care system really is and offers three actionable strategies to take control of your care.

In a recent Cancer Culture article, radiation oncologist Dr. Stacy Wentworth challenges the idea of ranking cancers as “good” or “bad.” She argues that while diagnoses and treatments differ, survivorship challenges are often shared, and far too many people are left without guidance once treatment ends. The real issue is not which cancer is worse, but how many survivors are navigating life after cancer without the information, monitoring, and support they need. This is exactly why Hodgkin’s International exists: to make sure no one is left to figure out life after cancer alone.

Melissa Grosboll of The Many Faces of Cancer Podcast interviews Erin Cummings, co-founder and executive director of Hodgkin’s International. 

Sheri Prentiss, MD, MPH, CPS/A, CPE, FACPE is both a clinician and a cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and has been living with one of the most difficult repercussions from her treatment – lymphedema. Dr. Prentiss poignantly describes her ongoing battle with this late effect.

The data indicates that there is, indeed, an increased risk for pulmonary issues, including pneumonia, for young adult survivors. The article does not specify what causes this outcome, but we do know that radiation to the chest area can be a major culprit. If you have been treated for cancer, especially with radiation, you may want to be followed by a pulmonologist in addition to your other providers. Many Hodgkin’s survivors have regular “pulmonary function tests,” or PFT’s, to help monitor our lung health.