Inside Pediatrics Fall/Winter 2023-2024

LIFE AFTER TREATMENT AT CHILDREN’S, CARING FOR CANCER PATIENTS IS A LONG-TERM COMMITMENT A cancer diagnosis is difficult in any case, but it can be particularly scary for children. Survival rates for children with cancer, however, now exceed 85%, so a cure is the expected outcome. Yet that cure comes at a price, as children live for decades with several complications directly related to the treatment used to treat the cancer. Now, a move toward a more individualized approach tailored to patients’ specific circumstances is helping mitigate side effects. Children’s of Alabama pediatric oncologist Smita Bhatia, M.D., MPH, is a leading expert in this field, tackling the health challenges cancer survivors face during and after treatment. She is the director of the Institute of Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Heersink School of Medicine. She’s also the vice chair for outcomes in the UAB Department of Pediatrics. Her work has focused on life after treatment of childhood cancer, researching how patients’ genes play a role in interacting with their medications in increasing the risk of long-term complications.

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