About CHoR's childhood cancer survivorship program

With innovative research and improved treatments, more and more children are celebrating the completion of their cancer treatments. As they move from active treatment to monitoring and follow-up, on one hand is relief but on the other hand is often anxiety about the future.

We strive to treat the whole patient and family, not just the illness. Once cancer has been cured, children and families can benefit from continued care to support their physical and emotional health. Our childhood cancer survivorship program helps kids and families with ongoing medical monitoring, educational support and resources for life moving forward.

Why choose CHoR?

• Our skilled team provides personal, coordinated care for more than 400 childhood cancer survivors currently.
• We provide longitudinal care irrespective of your current age as long as you were treated for cancer as a child.
• Our providers are part of the National Committee that develops guidelines for survivorship care.
• We are involved in ongoing research to stay abreast of the latest advancements and to develop new treatments and approaches to care.
• Our expertise is matched by our passion and compassion for the kids and families they serve.

Our childhood cancer survivorship program services include:

Medical care

Cancer and its treatment can have a number of long-term effects on the body, including learning difficulties, infertility, cardiac dysfunction, hypertension, high cholesterol, and defects in enamel formation in teeth, premature development of cataracts and abnormal liver and kidney function.

A physician and nurse practitioner provide assessments, along with a cancer survivorship care plan which includes a summary of your cancer care treatment and recommendations for follow-up based on treatment, age at exposure and the known late effects of therapy. They coordinate with pediatricians and other specialists to discuss immunizations, concerns during visits and ongoing care. They also provide appropriate referrals to other specialists who have expertise working with cancer survivors.

Psychosocial services

Uncertainty about the future can lead to anxiety and depression. A psychologist offers individual and group therapy sessions to help children and families with their unique circumstances.

A clinical social worker will screen every patient for psycho-social issues, provide support and resources and referrals to a psychologist as needed.

Educational support

An educational consultant conducts educational assessments and assists families with school meetings, development of education plans and related follow-up. She also offers an afterschool program once per week at rotating locations to help children with the transition back to school, including homework and socialization skills. This is complemented by summer enrichment – a one-week program for patients and siblings in Richmond and Fredericksburg.

For patients finishing high school, our educational consultant and LAUNCH coordinator can help with college and career planning advice and/or arranging vocational training as needed.

Annual retreats for middle/high school students and young adults, as well as survivorship forums and conferences provide additional opportunities for education, camaraderie and support.

Childhood cancer survivorship research

Our providers have been involved in on-going understanding of survivorship issues and these are some research publications from the survivorship program:

For more information, contact Dr. Gowda by email or by phone.