When Childhood Cancer Becomes a Family Affair, It Really Hits Home

David M Johnston; J Martin Johnston

doi:10.1016/j.pcl.2020.07.001

When Childhood Cancer Becomes a Family Affair, It Really Hits Home

Pediatr Clin North Am. 2020 Dec;67(6):1021-1031. doi: 10.1016/j.pcl.2020.07.001.

Authors

David M Johnston¹, J Martin Johnston²

Affiliations

¹ 2150 South McClelland Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84106, USA.
² Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Nevada, Reno, Renown Children's Hospital, 1155 Mill Street, Reno, NV 89502, USA. Electronic address: Martin.Johnston@Renown.org.

PMID: 33131532
DOI: 10.1016/j.pcl.2020.07.001

Abstract

In this article, a father and son describe the experience of childhood leukemia treatment and its aftermath with the unique perspective of a parent who is also a pediatric oncologist. An illness that began with an apparently favorable prognosis was transformed by an early relapse, followed by unexpected complications and difficult treatment decisions. Despite unfavorable statistics, the son is a long-term survivor with an overall excellent quality of life, despite several late events and effects. His father, in the meantime, gained insights that now inform his own practice.

Keywords: Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia; Childhood cancer survivorship; Late effects; Relapsed acute leukemia.

Publication types

Personal Narrative

MeSH terms

Adult
Cancer Survivors / psychology*
Humans
Male
Physician-Patient Relations*
Physicians / psychology*
Prognosis
Recurrence