Risk and associated risk factors of hospitalization for specific health problems over time in childhood cancer survivors: a medical record linkage study. (4th April 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Font‐Gonzalez, Anna; Feijen, Elizabeth (Lieke) A.M.; Geskus, Ronald B.; Dijkgraaf, Marcel G.W.; van der Pal, Helena J.H.; Heinen, Richard C.; Jaspers, Monique W.; van Leeuwen, Flora E.; Reitsma, J.B. (Johannes); Caron, Hubert N.; Sieswerda, Elske; Kremer, Leontien C.
• Is Part Of: Cancer medicine. Volume 6:Number 5(2017:May)
• Page Start: 1123
• Page End: 1134
• Publication Date: 2017-04-04
• Subjects: Childhood cancer -- hospitalization -- medical record linkage -- registries -- survivors; 616.994005
• DOI: 10.1002/cam4.1057
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2045-7634

Abstract

Abstract: Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) experience higher hospitalization rates compared to the general population for neoplasms, circulatory diseases, endocrine/nutritional/metabolic diseases and eye disorders. We studied trends in hospitalization rates and associated patient and treatment‐specific risk factors for diagnosis subgroups among these four diseases. We performed medical record linkage of a ≥5‐year CCS cohort with national registers, and obtained a random reference sample matched on age, gender and calendar year per CCS. For each diagnosis subgroup we compared hospitalization rates and trends over time in CCS and the reference population. Further, we analyzed risk factors for hospitalizations within the four CCS diagnosis groups. We used multivariate Poisson regression for all models. We retrieved hospitalization data from 1382 CCS and 26, 583 reference persons. CCS had increased hospitalization rates for almost all diagnosis subgroups examined. Hospitalization rates for endocrine/nutritional/metabolic diseases appeared to increase with longer time since primary cancer diagnosis up to 30 years after primary cancer diagnosis. Survivors initially treated with radiotherapy had increased hospitalization rates for neoplasms ( P < 0.001), those initially treated with anthracyclines (2.5 [1.1–5.5]) and radiotherapy to thorax and/or abdomen (9.3 [2.4–36.6]) had increased hospitalization rates for diseases of the circulatory system, and those initially treated with radiotherapy to head and/or neck had increased hospitalization rates for endocrine/nutritional/metabolic diseases (6.7 [3.5–12.7]) and diseases of the eye (3.6 [1.5–8.9]). Our study highlights that long‐term health problems resulting in hospitalizations are still clinically relevant later in life of CCS. The identified treatment‐related risk factors associated with hospitalizations support targeted follow‐up care for these risk groups of CCS. Abstract : Childhood cancer survivors experience higher hospitalization rates compared to the general population for almost all diagnosis subgroups within neoplasms, circulatory diseases, endocrine/nutritional/metabolic diseases and eye disorders. This study supports the prioritization of follow‐up care for the risk groups we identified, namely those survivors originally treated with anthracyclines and radiotherapy to thorax and/or abdomen and head and/or neck.