Many of us partake in cancer screenings (like mammograms and colonoscopies) as preventive measures, but a study has found that some of the people who could most benefit from screenings are not taking advantage of them. Childhood cancer survivors, according to the study, undergo cancer screenings in adulthood less frequently than the general population. This is important because childhood cancer survivors are more likely to develop new cancer than others.
Of cancer survivors who received radiation treatments as children, only 11.5% get colonoscopies, 46% get mammograms, and 27% get skin cancer screenings, within the timeframes they are supposed to. These survivors are at an increased risk of developing new cancers because of the nature of radiation treatment, with skin cancer being especially prevalent among them.
Part of the reason for this predicament is attributed to post-traumatic stress disorder among cancer survivors. PTSD occurs more frequently in that population, and doctor believe that the disorder may make patients less likely to subject themselves to future cancer screenings. The solution to this problem is to make sure patients (from childhood on) and their primary care providers are well-aware of the screening guidelines that are recommended for cancer survivors. And if post-traumatic stress disorder is hindering patients’ willingness to participate in screenings, it’s important that they are steered towards mental health options to remedy the problem.
Read the AP story about the study and this story in Forbes Magazine.
