Healthy living after treatment
It is important to help your child stay as healthy as possible and reach their full potential. Making healthy lifestyle choices is essential for those who have survived cancer as we know that treatment given to your child can sometimes affect their health later in life.
During treatment, the effects on appetite and physical activity are different for each child. Some children may have gained weight during treatment while others may have struggled to keep weight on andneeded extra supplements and high-calorie foods. Some treatments, like high-dose steroids, are more associated with weight gain which can make healthy weight management more challenging but still achievable with the right support. Ask your GP or hospital team to refer your child for extra help if needed.
Most children will begin to put on weight once treatment is finished, or in the case of leukaemia, lose it when they stop taking steroids. As a parent, this will be reassuring to see. However, in order for them to maintain a healthy body in the future, returning to a balanced healthy diet and being physically active is very important.
A good diet and physical activity will have many benefits for children who have had treatment for cancer and can have a positive effect on your child’s health for many years to come, such as:
- helping to heal tissues and organs that have been damaged by the cancer and treatment,
- building up your child’s strength and stamina,
- reducing the risk of developing certain types of adult cancers and other diseases in adult life,
- reducing feelings of stress and increasing feelings of well-being
In general, a healthy lifestyle includes not smoking; eating a low fat, high fibre diet; exercising regularly; avoiding drinking too much alcohol and using a high factor sunscreen (SPF30) or wearing clothing to protect against sunburn.
As your child goes through adolescence and becomes more independent, talking openly about the dangers of risk-taking behaviour such as smoking, drinking alcohol, taking drugs and sexual activity is important to encourage a healthy lifestyle.
What happens when my child reaches 18?
All children who complete their treatment for cancer need to attend follow-up clinics regularly in order to identify, assess and treat problems that may arise. Some children will have few problems in the follow-up period; others may need more help including both physical and psychological support.
Problems related to cancer treatment that occur or persist when treatment is finished are known as ‘late effects’. Follow-up care will continue well into your child’s adult life.
If your child is very young when they finish treatment, adolescence and adulthood may seem a long way off. However, as adolescence approaches, your child will grow physically and emotionally. They need to be supported in developing as much independence as possible in order for them to be able to make choices about their own healthcare.
As children treated for cancer become adults, their care will gradually transfer from paediatric to adult services. There is no single right time for this to happen and a flexible approach is used by most hospitals depending on the time since diagnosis, current health of the patient, and their physical and emotional maturity.
What is transition?
Preparation for moving to adult services should start early around your child's 14th birthday and continues until your child is settled into adult services. This is called transition. It is a planned, coordinated process where your child will be prepared over a number of months or years, given all the information they need and be introduced to their new adult team to make sure there is continuity of care.
You can help this process when your child is young by:
- talking to your child to help them gain an understanding of their cancer and the treatment,
- explaining the reasons for them coming to the follow up clinic,
- encouraging your child to ask questions and talk directly to the doctors and nurses.
So they feel ready to move on, they will also be supported by doctors and nurses in clinic the hospital team to:
- understand their cancer, treatment and follow up,
- gain more independence and starting to make their own decisions
- find health care advice.
Adolescent and adult long-term follow-up care will vary in each cancer centre. If you require any further information on ‘transition’, please discuss with your follow-up team.
The CCLG publication Living Beyond Cancer provides additional useful information.