Childhood cancer: What you need to know

According to the National Cancer Institute, an estimated 10,380 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed among children aged 0 to 14 years throughout the United States in 2016. About 1,250 are expected to die from the disease.

Although pediatric cancer deaths have declined by nearly 70% over the past 40 years, it remains the leading cause of death from a disease among children. To bring more attention to the issue, September is recognized as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Below is a listing of the latest research and news regarding childhood cancer. Here’s what you need to know:

Multiple mental health symptoms common in adolescent cancer survivors

Adolescent survivors of childhood cancers frequently experienced concurrent behavioral, emotional and social deficits. In addition, these comorbidities often resulted from treatment exposures and physical late effects. Read more.

Childhood cancer survivors at risk for endocrine disorders

The risk for endocrinopathies increased substantially over time among childhood cancer survivors, especially among those who received high-risk therapies. The current 5-year survival for childhood cancer exceeds 80%. However, research has shown that survivors are at increased risk for a broad spectrum of serious health conditions. Read More.

Pulmonary defects common among childhood cancer survivors

Survivors of pediatric cancers who underwent pulmonary-compromising therapies demonstrated a significant risk for long-term pulmonary complications, according to study results. Read more.

Childhood cancer survivors likely to need federal income assistance as adults

Long-term survivors of childhood cancers are more likely to claim supplemental social security income or social security disability insurance as adults than those without a cancer history. Read more.

Common functional tests detect cognitive deficits in pediatric patients with brain tumors

Child-, parent- and teacher-reported questionnaires exhibited moderately good accuracy for detecting cognitive deficit in pediatric patients with cerebellar tumors. These tests may be used in clinical and educational settings to screen children treated for brain tumors for substandard full-scale Intellectual Quotient. Read more.