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The 2021 Survivor to Survivor Network Workshop Series is Coming Soon!

Posted on February 26, 2021 by Kirsten Efremov

 

The S2S facilitators are being matched with topic experts from the community and are starting to build their workshops.  Here’s what you have to look forward to.

Anuraj’s workshop will be about coping with cognitive effects of childhood cancer treatment. He’ll talk about day-to-day challenges; school, work, and life impacts, strategies to manage cognitive impacts, and how to find support if you need it.

Harman is going to teach other survivors about how meditation and mindfulness can be used to influence behaviour. Some of his topics will be: the mind/body connection, being mindful of how we talk to ourselves, how to start meditating and cognitive behavioural therapy.

Sara’s workshop is called, “Will They Understand? The Personal Disclosure Dilemma at School and Work.” She’ll discuss when, how much and what personal health information to disclose; why it’s important; the pros and cons of disclosure; who to talk to for support and information; and your legal rights.

If you’re considering college as your academic path, Emelia will teach you how to get on it and what to expect, including: classroom accommodations/accessibility services, programs for people with disabilities or high school certificates, ways to pay for college, different pathways to college, and living at home or in residence.

All workshops will be hosted virtually.  Information about the workshop dates and how to register will be coming soon.

Posted in Transitions | Tagged childhood cancer survivors, Survivor-to-Survivor Network, The POGO School and Work Transitions Program

Creative Corner with Kathleen – eNews

Posted on February 26, 2021 by Kirsten Efremov

Kathleen Landayto is a graduate of George Brown College’s Graphic Design program. She loves being a freelance graphic designer, and has recently started illustrating custom pieces for clients. She enjoys the work and loves that it brings her clients joy every time they look at it. 

This piece is one of her latest digital drawings. She created it using the Procreate app and applied a watercolour art style. Kathleen says, “With digital art, you can use layers to achieve the final look. I started by defining the body shape, added light and shadow values for depth and finished it off on the 30th layer. This final layer adds minor but important details such as whiskers and fur lines, making the subject come to life.”

Follow Kathleen on Instagram @_kal.art, or email her at k.landayto@gmail.com

Kathleen is an ALL survivor.

Posted in Transitions | Tagged childhood cancer survivors, Survivor Care, The POGO School and Work Transitions Program

COVID-19 Update: What Hospitals are Doing

Posted on January 26, 2021 by admin

Childhood cancer centres and POGO Satellite Clinics across Ontario are working diligently to ensure the safety and best outcomes for children with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For children with cancer, survivors and their families, the best way to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection is to follow the recommendations outlined by the Ontario Ministry of Health, which can be found here. If you have questions about any specific precautions for your child or yourself, contact your oncologist or nurse.

Throughout Ontario, children with a new cancer diagnosis continue to be evaluated, undergo tests and start treatment with high priority and minimal disruption. POGO Satellite Clinics remain open and are an important component of keeping patients safe and the pediatric cancer system running. The childhood cancer treating centres are taking strong action to reduce the risk for cancer patients by limiting the requirement for well patients to attend the hospital by:

  • Connecting through telephone or videoconferencing and rescheduling hospital appointments
  • Deferring imaging and blood tests when possible
  • Utilizing community-based laboratories for blood tests when possible

This is particularly true for childhood cancer survivors who have been off treatment for several months or more.

If you attend a childhood cancer clinic, extra precautions may cause some inconvenience, for example:

  • Symptom screening is occurring at the hospital and clinic entrances
  • There may be limitations on the number of adults/family members allowed to accompany a child in the hospital
  • Playrooms may be closed

It is important to recognize that these measures are taken to protect survivors, your child and other children, family members, and staff in the hospital.

Your medical team understands that this a very stressful time for children, survivors, parents and families. Please talk to your team about your questions and concerns during this time.

David Hodgson, MD, FRCPC – POGO Medical Director

Paul Gibson, MD, FRCPC – POGO Associate Medical Director

Denise Mills, MN, RN(EC), NP Pediatrics – POGO Clinical Lead, Pediatric Oncology Nursing


Click here for more COVID-19 information.

Posted in Misc | Tagged Childhood cancer centres, childhood cancer survivors, COVID-19, POGO Satellite Clinics

Surviving Childhood Cancer: From Confidence Buster to Confidence Builder

Posted on December 16, 2020 by Claire Slaughter

By Barb Williams


It is surprising to many to hear that childhood cancer does not end with “being cured.” Childhood cancer and brain tumour survivors can develop learning difficulties resulting from their disease or treatment. These late effects may be further complicated by long-term physical effects, as well as emotional problems and mental health issues. It is easy to see how and why these young survivors face struggles in the worlds of work and school. Despite their physical and cognitive challenges, childhood cancer survivors have high aspirations for themselves and are motivated to achieve their goals. The POGO Transitions Program was developed as the result of parents’, patients’ and doctors’ concerns about young students, many with invisible disabilities, falling through the cracks at a critical time in their academic lives—graduating high school and moving on to college, university or work.

The Ups and Downs of Disclosing That You Are a Childhood Cancer Survivor

I want to point out that not all survivors struggle to meet their academic and professional ambitions. For some, the obstacles they experienced due to their childhood cancer have helped build their resilience, discipline and confidence. But there are a significant number of childhood cancer survivors who are grappling with emotional and mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, low confidence and self-worth—sometimes accompanied by social isolation and bullying. And these issues, as much as their learning challenges, can severely impact their ability to achieve their goals and become independent young adults.
As one of five POGO Counsellors across the province, it is my job to strengthen my clients’ confidence through realistic goal planning and facilitate their transition to post-secondary school and work. While there is a practical element to this in terms of job preparation and academic pathway information and navigation, there is often an emotional component. This is to say, I provide early guidance and career planning, help clients access the appropriate accommodations for school and work, and work with them to ensure their dreams and goals align with their strengths and skills. However, my colleagues and I also help our survivor clients address self-confidence and anxiety issues by listening without judgment and showing we care, and when further psychosocial intervention is required, we make the appropriate referrals. This one-on-one emotional support and encouragement POGO Counsellors provide is highly valued by survivors, as well as their family members who support them.

Sam’s Story: Focusing on Ability, Not Impairment

When I describe my job as working with childhood cancer survivors who experience challenges with school or work as a result of their disease or treatment, the most common reaction I get is how it must be such difficult or depressing work.  On the contrary; I get to meet young people on their journey of surviving childhood cancer and planning for their futures, even if there are obstacles to overcome. We envision their next steps and talk about their dreams. I get the opportunity to engage with them in something positive, and if they are not feeling positive, there is a chance, with the rest of the healthcare team, to intervene and set them up for success. These are the things that make our Program so unique, so important and so uplifting. The most exciting thing for me as a POGO Counsellor is to watch my survivor clients’ self-confidence and ability to advocate for themselves increase, witness them rise to challenges they didn’t think themselves capable of, and see them achieve their goals and aspirations.


Barb Williams is the Provincial Coordinator and POGO Counsellor in the Hamilton area for The POGO School and Work Transitions Program (POGO Transitions Program). The Program facilitates a smoother transition for childhood cancer and brain tumour survivors moving on from high school to appropriate post-secondary and work opportunities. This post is based on Barb’s professional experience and the 2020 report The Transition to Meaningful Activity for Childhood Cancer Survivors: Understanding the Role of The POGO School and Work Transitions Program.

Posted in In the News | Tagged childhood cancer survivors, POGO Counsellors, The POGO School and Work Transitions Program

POGO Connects Childhood Cancer Survivors to Much-Needed Primary Care

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Claire Slaughter

Many childhood cancer survivors attending a POGO AfterCare Clinic report that they do not have a primary care practitioner. In fact, survivors are concerned that because childhood cancer is a relatively rare disease, most primary care practitioners are unlikely to have expertise in managing the late effects of treatment.

The main purpose of POGO AfterCare Clinics is to provide follow-up care for survivors of childhood cancer to ensure appropriate monitoring of long-term and possible late effects associated with the original disease and its treatment. Most survivors are seen in POGO AfterCare Clinics only once a year. But for many, particularly those living in rural or remote communities, even once a year is a challenge. 

“It is critical that every survivor of childhood cancer has a family doctor,” says Dr. Stacey Marjerrison, POGO AfterCare Program Director, McMaster Children’s Hospital. “The POGO AfterCare Clinic team is focused on the late effects of the treatment, while the family doctor is focused on all aspects of wellness. If we identify any important late effects, like heart or lung problems, we need to be able to work with the family doctor to make sure the childhood cancer survivor continues to get the best care through their lifetime.”

Following an extensive consultation, POGO, through its Childhood Cancer Care Plan: A Roadmap for Ontario 2018 – 2023, defined a strategy to engage primary care practitioners and family health teams in the care of childhood cancer survivors. Beginning in 2019, the seven POGO AfterCare Clinics began a coordinated and concerted effort to make these connections. The goal is a shared-care partnership, fostering two-way communication and support between the primary care practitioner and the survivor’s AfterCare team, with the latter providing information and education about childhood cancer and its potential late effects.

“As a childhood cancer survivor, my health care is often complex,” says Kirsten, a young adult, who attends the POGO AfterCare Clinic at Toronto’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, 50 kilometres from her home in Brampton, Ontario. “The long-term side effects of chemo aren’t 100% known. The POGO AfterCare Clinic team is specialized to look at the drugs that I took during my treatment and allows me to receive testing and screening that might anticipate late effects. This allows my family doctor to focus on my general health and wellbeing. Without either side of my medical team, I would not be able to ensure I’m receiving optimal care.”

To date, discussions about accepting a survivor have been completed with 88 primary care practices and are underway with another 67 across Ontario, including many serving northern, rural and remote communities.


Researchers tell us that up to 80%* of childhood cancer survivors will experience at least one or more chronic health conditions by age 45 due to treatment they received to cure their cancer. As early as the 1950s, clinicians began to see that many more children were beating cancer, but that was only half the battle. Children treated for a childhood cancer were surviving only to develop significant therapy-related health problems later in life.

With the increasing success of childhood cancer treatments, caring for the growing survivor population with their unique healthcare needs becomes even more important. From the POGO Surveillance Report, we know that as of 2014, there were an estimated 17,750 childhood cancer survivors living in Ontario. And right now, about 1 in 500 adults between the ages of 20 and 39 years is a childhood cancer survivor. As this population ages, their health care needs related to treatment late effects will rise.

In early 2001, POGO launched a network of survivorship clinics located in London, Hamilton, Toronto, Kingston and Ottawa for pediatric and adult survivors of a childhood cancer. POGO AfterCare Clinics, staffed by oncologists, nurses and allied health professionals, provide long-term follow-up care, including clinical examination for signs and symptoms of late effects, recommending tests such as an echocardiogram for possible heart problems in patients who received certain therapies, and referring survivors for breast and/or colorectal cancer screening based on clinical practice recommendations that take into account their cancer treatment history.

*Nathan PC, Agha M, Pole JD, Hodgson D et al Predictors of attendance at specialized survivor clinics in a population-based cohort of adult survivors of childhood cancer. J Cancer Surviv 2016

Posted in Misc | Tagged AfterCare, childhood cancer survivors, POGO AfterCare Clinics, survivorship

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@POGO4Kids

March 1, 2021

All childhood cancers meet the definition of a #raredisease, with fewer than six cases per 100,000 children each year. However, #Childhoodcancer continues to be the most common cause of disease-related deaths among Ontario children over the age of one. https://bit.ly/3sIiSpd

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