OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe the burden of adverse kidney and hypertension outcomes in patients evaluated by pediatric nephrology in a multidisciplinary survivorship clinic.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review of all patients followed up by nephrology in our multidisciplinary survivorship clinic from August 2013 to June 2021. Data included clinic blood pressure, longitudinal ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), echocardiography, serum creatinine, and first-morning urine protein/creatinine ratios. For patients with multiple ABPMs, results of initial and most recent ABPMs were compared.

RESULTS: Of 422 patients followed in the multidisciplinary cancer survivorship clinic, 130 were seen by nephrology. The median time after therapy completion to first nephrology visit was 8 years. The most common diagnoses were leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome (27%), neuroblastoma (24%), and Wilms tumor (15%). At the last follow-up, 68% had impaired kidney function, 38% had a clinical diagnosis of hypertension, and 12% had proteinuria. There were 91 ABPMs performed in 55 (42%) patients. Patients with multiple ABPMs (n = 21) had statistically significant reductions in overall median blood pressure loads: systolic initial load 37% vs most recent 10% (P = .005) and diastolic load 36% vs 14% (P = .017). Patients with impaired kidney function were more likely to have received ifosfamide. Patients with hypertension were more likely to have received total body irradiation or allogeneic stem cell transplant.

CONCLUSIONS: History of leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome, neuroblastoma, and Wilms tumor was frequent among survivors seen by nephrology. There was significant improvement in cardiovascular measures with increased recognition of hypertension and subsequent treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the burden of adverse kidney and cardiovascular outcomes in patients evaluated by pediatric nephrology in a multidisciplinary survivorship clinic.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review of all patients followed by nephrology in our multidisciplinary survivorship clinic from 8/2013-6/2021. Data included clinic blood pressure (BP), longitudinal ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), echocardiography, serum creatinine, and first-morning urine protein/creatinine ratios. For patients with multiple ABPMs, results of initial and most recent ABPMs were compared.

RESULTS: Of 422 patients followed in the multidisciplinary cancer survivorship clinic, 130 were seen by nephrology. Median time after therapy completion to first nephrology visit was 8 years. The most common diagnoses were leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome (27%), neuroblastoma (24%), and Wilms tumor (15%). At last follow-up, 68% had impaired kidney function, 38% had a clinical diagnosis of hypertension, and 12% had proteinuria. There were 91 ABPMs performed in 55 (42%) patients. Patients with multiple ABPMs (n=21) had statistically significant reductions in overall median BP loads: systolic initial load 37% vs. most recent 10% (p=0.005) and diastolic load 36% vs. 14% (p=0.017). Patients with impaired kidney function were more likely to have received ifosfamide. Patients with hypertension were more likely to have received total body irradiation or allogeneic stem cell transplant.

CONCLUSIONS: History of leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome, neuroblastoma, and Wilms tumor were frequent among survivors seen by nephrology. There was significant improvement in cardiovascular measures with increased recognition of hypertension and subsequent treatment.

<p><strong>OBJECTIVE: </strong>Fewer than one-third of childhood cancer survivors receive follow-up from an adult provider, and adolescent and young adults (AYAs) from structurally minoritized sociodemographic groups often face health disparities that can impact transition to adult-oriented care. The primary aim of this study was to determine the relation among sociodemographic factors, cumulative effects, and transition beliefs/expectations and goals, and the moderating role of health competence beliefs in AYA survivors of childhood cancer.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>A total of 195 AYAs (aged 15-29) reported sociodemographic information, completed the Transition Readiness Inventory assessing positive beliefs/expectations and goals related to transition, and completed the Health Competence Beliefs Inventory assessing health perceptions, healthcare satisfaction, cognitive competence, and autonomy. A cumulative sociodemographic factor variable was computed to investigate the potential additive effects of multiple sociodemographic factors associated with disparities. T-tests, Pearson correlations, and multivariate linear regressions were used.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Cumulative sociodemographic factors were not related to transition readiness, and insurance type was the only factor associated with health competence beliefs and transition readiness, such that AYAs with public insurance reported lower healthcare satisfaction, cognitive competence, and transition goals relative to those with private insurance. There were no interaction effects; however, health competence beliefs were significantly associated with transition beliefs/expectations and goals.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSION: </strong>Public insurance is a barrier to holding positive beliefs/expectations and goals about transition, yet other sociodemographic factors associated with risks for poor transfer were not related to transition readiness. Multi-level interventions to reduce disparities and improve transition readiness should target health competence beliefs and barriers created by insurance.</p>

<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>Childhood cancer survivors treated with cranial or total body irradiation (TBI) are at risk for growth hormone deficiency (GHD). Recombinant growth hormone (rhGH) therapy is associated with slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE). We compared the incidence of SCFE after TBI versus cranial irradiation (CI) in childhood cancer survivors treated with rhGH.</p>

<p><strong>PROCEDURE: </strong>Retrospective cohort study (1980-2010) of 119 survivors treated with rhGH for irradiation-induced GHD (56 TBI; 63 CI). SCFE incidence rates were compared in CI and TBI recipients, and compared with national registry SCFE rates in children treated with rhGH for idiopathic GHD.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Median survivor follow-up since rhGH initiation was 4.8 (range 0.2-18.3) years. SCFE was diagnosed in 10 subjects post-TBI and none after CI (P &lt; 0.001). All 10 subjects had atypical valgus SCFE, and 7 were bilateral at presentation. Within TBI recipients, age at cancer diagnosis, sex, race, underlying malignancy, age at radiation, and age at initiation of rhGH did not differ significantly between those with versus without SCFE. The mean (SD) age at SCFE diagnosis was 12.3 (2.7) years and median duration of rhGH therapy to SCFE was 1.8 years. The SCFE incidence rate after TBI exposure was 35.9 per 1,000 person years, representing a 211-fold greater rate than reported in children treated with rhGH for idiopathic GH deficiency.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>The markedly greater SCFE incidence rate in childhood cancer survivors with TBI-associated GHD, compared with rates in children with idiopathic GHD, suggests that cancer treatment effects to the proximal femoral physis may contribute to SCFE.</p>

<p><strong>PURPOSE: </strong>Young adult survivors (YAS) of childhood cancer require annual adult-focused, cancer-related follow-up given their risk for late effects of treatment. This study describes perception of and engagement with adult-focused, cancer-related follow-up care and general health care among YAS formally transferred to adult care from pediatric survivorship care.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>YAS transferred from pediatric survivorship care in the prior 1-5&nbsp;years completed measures indicating engagement with cancer-related follow-up care, other health care utilization, content of communication by providers, quality of cancer-related care, and satisfaction with health care in the prior year.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Eighty YAS (M age = 27.7&nbsp;years, M time since diagnosis = 10.4&nbsp;years) participated. Just over half of YAS surveyed (n = 44, 55&nbsp;%) endorsed continuing cancer-related follow-up care since transfer. Those with cancer-related follow-up endorsed seeing subspecialty survivorship providers (n = 16, 44&nbsp;%) and primary care providers (n = 22, 50&nbsp;%) or utilizing a shared care model (n = 6, 14&nbsp;%). About a third of YAS endorsed seeing subspecialists (n = 29, 36&nbsp;%) or using other support services (n = 22, 27&nbsp;%). YAS-perceived content of communication varied significantly depending on care model with less cancer-related content being discussed by primary care providers, though perceived quality of cancer-related care and satisfaction with health care was generally favorable.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>YAS report less than optimal engagement in cancer-related follow-up care and communication in their health care encounters.</p>

<p><strong>IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: </strong>Young adult survivors should receive anticipatory guidance about expectations for delivery and content of adult-focused cancer-related follow-up care.</p>