U.S. Cancer Survivors Are Parents of 2.85 Million Kids Under 18

Most studies that concern cancer focus solely on the patient. One new study released today calls attention to the millions of kids who have a parent who is a cancer survivor. The study, published online in the journal Cancer, involved 13,385 cancer survivors. When the results of the study are extrapolated to the remainder of the U.S., it is believed that there are about 1.58 million cancer survivors who have 2.85 million kids under the age of 18.

Although most people may assume that those who are stricken with cancer are older if not elderly, the study found that 14 percent of all cancer survivors live with one or more of their minor children. Eighteen percent of newly diagnosed cancer survivors live with one of their kids who is 18 or under.

Researchers who conducted the study from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina were hopeful that the study will bring more attention, research and assistance for those households that have both a cancer survivor and one or more kids. Oftentimes, the treatment of cancer does not even breach the subject of home life, yet there seem to be hundreds of thousands of children in tough circumstances that might be in need of clinical screening.

Understandably, cancer puts a strain on all of those directly affected by it. Researchers stated that health care providers should make it a point to screen or refer all family members affected by cancer in order to identify any issues and potential struggles. Cancer often causes children to look for other caregivers for support, and the dynamics of a survivor’s family may never exist quite the same way after the diagnosis. In many cases, positive attributes such as resilience and independence are attained.

On the other hand, many children of cancer survivors are very young. In fact, more than 30 percent are under age 6. Almost exactly one-third of kids were born after their parent’s cancer diagnosis. There may be even more children whose families are affected by cancer, because the study did not include survivors who live with grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Almost 80 percent of cancer survivors who live with their kids are women, and just under 70 percent were married. More than 85 percent of cancer survivors with dependent kids were under the age of 50. The study was based upon surveys taken between the years of 2000 and 2007.