When Jean Shaw first came to Children’s Hospital Boston in 1951, the world was a rapidly changing place. The Korean War was escalating new tensions between America and the Soviet Union, a reactor in Idaho became the world’s first electricity-generating nuclear power source and teenagers everywhere were discovering a new type of music called rock n’ roll.
Fortunately for Jean, the world of medicine was changing as well.
When she arrived in Boston to seek a cure for osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer that occurs most often in teenagers, the standard treatment was amputation. It was a successful method in the short-term, but over time the cancer came back, often in a more lethal form like lung cancer. Given the severity of the diagnosis, Jean’s mother was frightened. It was a great relief when their doctor, Sydney Farber, MD, said he saw a different treatment option for the young girl.
Sydney Farber, MD
“When the doctor in our home town told my mama I had bone cancer she was terrified, because the doctor said he hadn’t known of any child who survived the disease, even after they had their limb removed,” Jean remembers. “Still, he suggested we go to Children’s Hospital Boston to see if they could help. When we got there Dr. Farber took a look at me and said there may be a different way to treat me.” Full story »
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on September 15, 2011
By Tom Ulrich. A version of this story originally appeared in Vector, Children’s science and innovation blog
While many childhood cancers are readily curable, those cures can come at a cost to future fertility. (Wikimedia Commons)
Thanks to advances in medicine, 75 percent of children currently diagnosed with cancer will live to see adulthood. This is extremely welcome news of course, but with it comes new questions about what adult life holds for survivors of childhood cancers. As science is now discovering, the therapies that are so effective at saving children’s lives can also occasionally lead to problems down the road (called the late effects of cancer treatment.)
Some of the more common concerns surrounding late effects of cancer treatment have to do with its effects on fertility, which can be quite harsh. “There’s a huge segment of the pediatric oncology population that’s at risk for infertility when they grow up,” says Richard Yu, MD, PhD who works on male infertility in Children’s Hospital Boston’s department of Urology.
The problem is hardly gender specific. “It’s as though cancer treatment pushes the ovaries further down the age curve,” says Sara Barton, a fertility specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital who collaborates with Lisa Diller, MD clinical director of the Dana-Farber/Children’s Hospital Cancer Center (DF/CHCC). “So while a woman who has survived childhood cancer may be 20 years old, her ovaries act like they’re 35 or 40.” Full story »
September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, a time for Americans to reflect on the challenges faced by the thousands of young people living with the disease, and honor the memories of those who have passed. The medical community has made great strides in treating pediatric cancer, but we still have a long way to go; cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease for all children under the age of 15.
While we support the thousands of brave children battling cancer, and honor those we’ve lost, we should also take a moment to celebrate the astounding progress that’s been made in treating it. To all the doctors, researchers, volunteers and families who are working tirelessly towards a cure or brightening the day of a patient with cancer, we’d like to say thank you. In honor of your amazing efforts, here are a few stories about strength, hope and treatment, which personify your dedication and resolve to stand up to cancer. Full story »
Since the 1970’s, advancements in medical technology have led to much higher survival rates among children cancer patients. Thanks to the invention and/or further development of cancer treatments like radiation, chemotherapy and surgery, the survival rate of children with cancer has risen dramatically in the past 30 years. But as the recipients of these treatments approach middle age, new data concerning their long term health effects is coming to light.
An analysis recently released by the Annals of Internal Medicine estimates that childhood cancer survivors are more likely to die earlier than their peers who have never undergone cancer treatment. While this information may seem disheartening,Lisa Diller,MD, senior author of the study and clinical director of Pediatric Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children’s Hospital Boston points out that despite the potential dangers of lasting effects, these types of medical advancements have done far more good than harm. Full story »
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on February 21, 2010
Here’s a quick look at what Thrive was up to last week.
School life for children after cancer takes a toll. Children’s Nelson Aquino, CRNA, reflects on his life-altering experience in Haiti. There are ways to confront bullying and cyberbullying head-on. Children’s injury prevention expert offers fire safety tips for your family. Learn how to make snacking a healthy time for your child. Are infants who swim more likely to get asthma? Girls’ soccer injuries are preventable. What are parents’ legal responsibilities when it comes to sexting? Is there such a thing as Internet overload for your child’s brain?
Children born early in the year are more likely to be athletes. Obese children are more likely to die young. There’s a link between children with a super sweet tooth and alcoholism. Can you really tell if you’re child will be obese by age 2?
WBZ-TV yesterday shared the story of Charlotte Kelly, a 3-year-old Children’s patient who is battling stage IV neuroblastoma. The chemotherapy used to treat Charlotte’s cancer destroys the platelets in her blood, so she needs regular transfusions to replace them. Her mother’s colleagues from the Tynan Elementary School in South Boston gave the greatest holiday gift this week when they came to Children’s Blood Donor Center to donate platelets for Charlotte.
As you’re giving gifts this year, don’t forget to give the ones, like blood and platelets, that don’t cost a dime but help kids like Charlotte every day at Children’s and places like it around the world.
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on September 16, 2009
By Kendal Temple, RN, a nurse in Children’s Hematology/Oncology Program
After a long absence due to cancer, it can be hard for young patients to return to school–especially if they look different or can’t play the way they used to. Although most of the time they’re thrilled to be going back to school and seeing their friends, many children are also nervous. To help these kids during the transition, Children’s developed the Back to School program. A nurse and a Child Life specialist visit the patient’s school and educate the classmates on what the patient has been going through. By creating a place where classmates can ask questions and air concerns, these visits help alleviate anxiety and encourage the sensitivity of everyone at school.
This past year, I worked with RJ Agostinelli, a vivacious young man who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells, at age 11. He missed seven months of elementary school while having chemotherapy. Full story »
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Since the 1970’s, advancements in medical technology have led to much higher survival rates among 
Other stories we’ve been reading:
By Kendal Temple, RN, a nurse in Children’s Hematology/Oncology Program
