POGO

  • Staff List
  • Contact Us

Main menu

Skip to primary content
Skip to secondary content
  • About Us
    • Our Mission and Vision
    • Childhood Cancer Care Plan
    • POGO Recognition Awards
    • POGO Land Acknowledgement
    • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
    • Our Board
    • Our Partners
    • Our Donors
    • Privacy
    • Accessibility
    • Reports
    • Newsroom
    • Job Opportunities
    • Senior Leadership Team
  • Programs & Support
    • Patient Care Programs
    • Financial Assistance
    • Survivor Care
    • Cancer Resources
    • Inspiring Stories
    • Clinical and Program Advisory Committees
  • Education
    • POGO Satellite Education Day
    • POGO Multidisciplinary Symposium on Childhood Cancer
    • POGO Virtual Education
    • POGO AfterCare Education Day
    • Indigenous Resource Guide
  • Healthcare Practice
    • Pediatric Oncology Nursing
    • Clinical Practice Guidelines
    • POGO Satellite Manual
    • Pediatric Palliative Care
  • Research & Data
    • 2020 POGO Surveillance Report
    • POGO Research Unit
    • POGO Databases
    • Data Reports
    • Data Requests
  • Get Involved
    • Pajamas and Pancakes
    • Birthday Parties for POGO
    • Events
    • Volunteer
  • Ways to Give
    • Donate
    • Monthly Donations
    • Gifts of Stock and Securities
    • Become a Corporate Partner
    • Gifts in Honour/Memory
    • Legacy Gifts
    • Shop Online/Earn Cash Back

Blog

POGO > Blog > radiation
[sharethis]

Tag: radiation


The Burden of Surviving Childhood Cancer – by Leanne Brown

Posted on June 13, 2018 by Kelly Zorzi

When I was 10 months old, I had persistent raspy breathing that  everyone thought was a cold or allergies. Then one night I stopped breathing. I was rushed to the hospital, x-rayed and sent to The Hospital for Sick Children where they found a tumour the size of a grapefruit wrapped around two vertebrae in my upper spine—neuroblastoma was the diagnosis. I was rushed into surgery to remove the tumour and a large portion of muscle and tissue out of my back. My chances of surviving were 5 – 10% and my parents were told that if I DID survive, I would likely be paralyzed.

Leanne Brown with her children Greg and Beth

After cobalt radiation treatment, I went into remission at 18 months old and never relapsed. As I grew up, my doctors explained to me the side effects I was experiencing, those that might still come, my inability to have children, and the fact that my life expectancy was not the same as my peers. For the rest of my life, cancer and I will walk together in some form. That is my basic medical story, but it is not my whole story. While most childhood cancer survivors become well adjusted adults, many have an affected sense of self and some may experience depression, anxiety or other mental health issues.

Watch Straight Talk: Emotional Health After Childhood Cancer

One rarely discussed issue is something I have been through, and most survivors I know have experienced: survivor guilt. It’s a hard concept to wrap your head around until you understand where it originates.

Growing up, many of the children who were treated alongside me did not survive; including a
friend who was very special to me. For a long time after he passed I felt guilty for living, in fact
I still do sometimes when another life is lost. But the feelings of responsibility don’t end there.
Logical or not, many survivors feel guilty for the sacrifices our parents had to make, for the social
and emotional challenges our siblings went through, and even for being who we are, rather
than super humans doing extraordinary things. There is a burden to be better than “normal.”

As an adult, the feelings have never really gone away, but I have found ways to deal with them.
As a teenager and young adult, the guilt, coupled with the deeper understanding of my own
mortality and no one to relate to, was very isolating. That is why I try to address the topic with
other childhood cancer survivors, especially the younger generation. It has catalyzed many
interesting and emotional conversations, and in some cases, provided a space for people to
voice something they have never said aloud before.

Leanne Brown has been a speaker at the biannual POGO Survivor Conference and POGO AfterCare Education Day. Although she was told she would never have the physical strength and endurance of her peers, she embraces life by skiing, running, hiking, camping and canoeing, and she even completed a half marathon in 2013. Leanne lives with her two children in Ottawa.

Posted in Misc | Tagged AfterCare, cancer-free, childhood cancer survivors, late effects, neuroblastoma, radiation

When Your Tumour Leaves You With a Disability – by Noah Severino

Posted on April 4, 2018 by Kelly Zorzi

Noah Severino

I was 9 years old when I was diagnosed with late stage rhabdomyosarcoma. I had been experiencing chronic fatigue, migraines and tingling in my face for over two months, but none of the doctors could find anything wrong. Then one morning I woke up and I was completely blind in my right eye.

The ophthalmologist found no reason for me to lose my sight so he ordered an emergency CT scan. I remember the pediatrician on call coming out of the viewing room and saying to my mom, “You need to get to SickKids Hospital right now; they are waiting for you.”

A tumour had basically encapsulated my brain and was moving; the doctors thought I was 24 – 48 hours away from dying. They started me on emergency chemo and radiation before they could even put a name to what I had. All in all, I had a total of 50 rounds of chemo and 30 rounds of radiation over the course of a year. Radiation caused third-degree burns on my cheek, head, in my mouth and down my esophagus, so eating was a real challenge. I used to drink coffee creamers to keep my weight up and because my mouth was so raw.

My tumour was so aggressive and advanced when I was diagnosed, that doctors wondered whether I would be able to overcome it. They wondered if I would be functional or articulate after such intense treatment, but here I am, 17 years later, a graduate of the Master of Management program at the Schulich School of Business, and thankfully cancer-free.

Anyone who knows a childhood cancer survivor knows that life doesn’t just return to normal when you are declared cured. The tumour severed my optic nerve and I am completely blind in one eye. The radiation permanently damaged my thyroid and my pituitary gland, and for a long time my tear ducts and salivary glands were not functional. I still live with daily headaches that range from two to nine on the pain scale.

I have annual checkups at my POGO AfterCare Clinic. They are monitoring me for secondary cancers (because of all the radiation) and cardiac issues that may arise due to the type of chemotherapy I had. I get regular MRIs to look for brain tumours and I am thankful that my results have been clear.

As you can imagine, a tumour around my brain, radiation to the head and a year out of school can put a kid at a disadvantage academically.

I was luckier than other childhood cancer survivors in the same situation in that a neighbour who was a retired teacher offered to be my private tutor to help me catch up—I was actually working at a higher level than my peers at one point. Still, I found school challenging (albeit a welcome one) and used special accommodations, like a note taker to help supplement my own notes in case I experienced writing fatigue or a migraine.

Watch Straight Talk: Assistive Technology after Childhood Cancer

Counsellors in the POGO School and Work Transitions Program (Transitions Program) work one-on-one with survivors like me to help us achieve our academic and employment goals. A HUGE challenge for me has been disclosing my disability when applying for a job. No one wants to hear that a potential employee isn’t going to be able to type quickly, or won’t show up for work some days because of the headaches and chronic pain he has to deal with.

The Transitions Program is funded entirely by donations from the private sector. DONATE TODAY.

Between some of the workshops I have attended, help from my family and talking one-on-one with my counsellor, I have the tools I need to advocate for myself. It is very intimidating to put yourself out there, but I have gained the confidence I need to say, “I’m a childhood cancer survivor and as a result of my treatments this is what I have to deal with, but I promise you I’m a hard worker and you will be happy with what I can do.”

I can honestly say that if I could go back in time and take away my cancer experience, I don’t think I would. It has shaped my goals and made me who I am. My hope is to one day work with other childhood cancer survivors or kids with serious illnesses to help them grow and be the best they can be.

Through his work with his POGO Counsellor, Noah received a number of post-secondary scholarships and graduated with a (Honours) Bachelor of Humanities from Carleton University and a Master of Management from the Schulich School of Business at York University. Noah is currently working at the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Posted in Misc | Tagged AfterCare, brain tumour, cancer-free, childhood cancer survivors, late effects, radiation, rhabdomyosarcoma, savti

Heart Health

Posted on September 4, 2012 by admin

Presentation Description: Certain chemotherapy drugs such as anthracyclines and/or radiation in the heart region, have greatly improved survival of childhood cancer, but can have late effects on heart function.  Dr. Ross Davies, an adult Cardiologist at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, has experience with heart failure and heart transplantation, including some patients who have been survivors of childhood cancer.  In this presentation, he discussed the effects of chemotherapy and radiation on the heart, non-invasive cardiac diagnostic tests used to assess heart function such as echocardiography or radionuclide ventriculography, cardiac medications which can be given to improve heart function and heart healthy behavior including diet and exercise advice for survivors of pediatric cancer.  He also explored some of the relevant publications such as the Children’s Cancer Survivor Study.

Speaker:          Ross Davies, BSc, MD, FRCPC, FACC

                           Professor of Medicine, University of Ottawa

                           Member, Heart Failure, Transplant and Pulmonary Hypertension Programs

                           Division of Cardiology

                           University of Ottawa Heart Institute

 

Posted in 2011 Survivor Conference, Education for Survivors | Tagged cardiac complications, cardiologist, chemotherapy, echocardiography, heart function, heart health, radiation

Hormonal Issues and Their Treatment

Posted on September 4, 2012 by admin

Presentation Description: Survivors of childhood cancer are at increased risk of developing chronic medical conditions, primarily as a direct result of the treatments they received to cure their cancers (for example radiation, combination chemotherapy). Endocrine or hormone problems are among the most common chronic medical conditions seen in adult survivors of childhood cancer. Hormone problems are most often seen in persons who were treated with radiation to the brain, neck or pelvic area and those who received high doses of a class of chemotherapy drugs called alkylation agents (such as cyclophosphamide, busulfan, melphalan, thiotepa). Hormone problems can affect growth, sexual development, stamina, and overall well being. Fortunately, many hormone problems are treatable.
This presentation reviewed the major hormone complications seen in survivors of childhood cancer, risk factors for these problems, as well as common symptoms and treatment approaches.

Speaker:          Mark Greenberg

                           Senior Adviser, Policy & Clinical Affiars

                           Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO), Toronto

                           Senior Staff Oncologist

                           Division of Haematology/Oncology, SickKids, Toronto

                           Professor of Paediatrics & Surgery, University of Toronto

 

Posted in 2011 Survivor Conference, Education for Survivors | Tagged alkylation agents, chronic medical conditions, combination chemotherapy, endocrine, growth, hormonal issues, hormones, Quality of Life, radiation, risk factors, sexual function, stamina

Donate

Blog

Education Portal
Survivor Conference
All Categories

Categories

Newsletter Sign-Up

  Please leave this field empty
  

@POGO4Kids

Twitter feed is not available at the moment.

Follow @POGO4Kids

Quick Links

  • For Professionals
    • Read Cancer Care Plan
    • Review our Guidelines
    • Request Research Data
  • Families & Kids
    • Get POGO AfterCare
    • Connect with a POGO Nurse
    • Get Care Closer to Home
  • For Survivors
    • Find Local Resources
    • Set Goals for your Future
    • Educate Yourself
  • Get Involved
    • Host an Event for POGO
    • Volunteer with POGO
    • Partner with POGO
  • About Us
    • Our Mission and Vision
    • Childhood Cancer Care Plan
    • POGO Recognition Awards
    • POGO Land Acknowledgement
    • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
    • Our Board
    • Our Partners
    • Our Donors
    • Privacy
    • Accessibility
    • Reports
    • Newsroom
    • Job Opportunities
    • Senior Leadership Team
  • Programs & Support
    • Patient Care Programs
    • Financial Assistance
    • Survivor Care
    • Cancer Resources
    • Inspiring Stories
    • Clinical and Program Advisory Committees
  • Education
    • POGO Satellite Education Day
    • POGO Multidisciplinary Symposium on Childhood Cancer
    • POGO Virtual Education
    • POGO AfterCare Education Day
    • Indigenous Resource Guide
  • Healthcare Practice
    • Pediatric Oncology Nursing
    • Clinical Practice Guidelines
    • POGO Satellite Manual
    • Pediatric Palliative Care
  • Research & Data
    • 2020 POGO Surveillance Report
    • POGO Research Unit
    • POGO Databases
    • Data Reports
    • Data Requests
  • Get Involved
    • Pajamas and Pancakes
    • Birthday Parties for POGO
    • Events
    • Volunteer
  • Ways to Give
    • Donate
    • Monthly Donations
    • Gifts of Stock and Securities
    • Become a Corporate Partner
    • Gifts in Honour/Memory
    • Legacy Gifts
    • Shop Online/Earn Cash Back

©2022 Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario

480 University Avenue, Suite 1014 | Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1V2, Canada | Charitable Registration Number: 871067245RR0001 |
1-855-FOR POGO (367-7646) | Contact Us | Website Privacy Policy | Website Disclaimer | Satellite Manual Disclaimer |