CKF North York Blog - Mental Health Effects of Pediatric Cancer on Survivors and their Families

Mackenzie Law | July 16, 2021

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“Even when treatment is done, it’s never gone. It’s never finished. You don’t close the chapter on pediatric cancer.” - Antonia Palmer, whose son Nate is a pediatric cancer survivor.

Welcome back to the Cancer Kids First North York chapter’s blog!

Last month we talked about three ways that we can help protect pediatric patients while out and about this summer. This month, we’ll be exploring the psychological aspects of survivorship.

83% of children with cancer in Canada now survive. However, pediatric cancer survivors are vulnerable to long-term severe physical effects and are at greater risk of poor mental health.

During treatment, most pediatric cancer patients and their families focus on getting better and getting through each day. Once treatment ends and families are left to make sense of their experience, plenty of emotions – from relief that treatment has ended, to worry that cancer may return – can surface. Being a survivor of pediatric cancer usually involves ongoing testing for recurrent cancer, watching for cancer’s late effects and re-entering school. Though most survivors can cope with these stresses and emotions, some may develop symptoms of posttraumatic stress along with anxiety, depression, substance abuse or other mood disorders.

For decades, the majority of resources and professionals in this field have been heavily focused on cancer treatment which, while extremely important, means that the rest of the patient and their family’s life has been neglected. In the past few years, though, there has been an increase in studies focused on the mental health (and overall post-treatment life) of pediatric cancer survivors.

In 2018, Ontario researchers compared data from pediatric cancer survivors and the general population. They ultimately found that survivors have higher risks of neurodevelopmental, emotional, and behavioural illnesses than the general population. The study’s data showed that childhood cancer survivors had a 34% higher rate of medical visits (16% of which are hospitalizations) for mental health reasons than the general population.

Childhood cancer is not only felt by the diagnosed, but also by their family. That’s why, in 2019, the Journal of Clinical Oncology compared data from parents and siblings of pediatric cancer survivors with the general population. The study found that parents and siblings of children with cancer are at a higher risk of poor mental health and had a 40% higher rate of medical visits for mental health reasons than the general population. The most surprising part of this study, though, was that these elevated rates lasted up to 20 years after the child’s cancer diagnosis.

These findings reveal that pediatric cancer patients and their families must have long term access to mental health resources. Some hospitals offer support for mental health during treatment, but contact between families and hospitals dwindles once treatment ends.

The stigma toward mental health in our society also plays a significant role in this issue. Health-care providers make pediatric cancer survivors and their families aware of potential long-term physical effects of being a cancer survivor, but imagine if they did the same for mental health risks. Encouraging each member of the survivor’s family to monitor their mental wellbeing just as much as they monitor the survivor’s physical wellbeing is the first step in reversing this issue.

No one should have to fight these battles by themselves and mental health shouldn’t be taboo. So, let’s normalize talking about it – if not to help ourselves, then to help cancer survivors and their families, our friends and families, and, most importantly, the world we live in.

A massive thank you to all of our hardworking volunteers, donors and Summer Bucket List participants! If you’re interested in learning more, making a donation or joining the team, follow our instagram (@cancerkidsfirst.northyork) or email us (cancerkidsfirstnorthyork@gmail.com) for more information.

Don’t forget to sign up for the CKF North York Chapter’s Summer Bucket List!!