Physician preferences and knowledge regarding the care of childhood cancer survivors in Japan: A mailed survey of the Japanese Society of Pediatric Oncology.

e19522 Background: Japanese physicians' attitudes regarding the health care needs of childhood cancer survivors (CCSs) are not well described. Thus we examined the self-reported preferences and knowledge of pediatric oncologists and surgeons concerning this population. METHODS A mailed survey was sent to 858 physician members of the Japanese Society of Pediatric Oncology in October 2010 according to the methods of Henderson et al (JCO 28 (5):878, 2010). RESULTS A total of 405 surveys were returned (47% response rate); of which 300/533 pediatric oncologists and 105/325 and surgeons responded, respectively. Respondents' median age was 46 and 48 years, respectively; 79% and 84% men. There were no differences between physicians excluding living area distributions and educational opportunities of late effects. Less than one third of respondents (31%) report referring survivors to other physicians. When comfort levels in caring for CCSs were described (1 = very uncomfortable; 7 = very comfortable), physicians were most comfortable with CCS <= 21years (4.4 ± 1.3 and 3.8±1.4), less comfortable with CCSs > 21 years but < 30 years old (3.6 ± 1.4 and 3.6 ± 1.4), and least comfortable with CCS >30 years (2.8 ± 1.5 and 3.3 ± 1.6). Familiarity with long-term follow-up guidelines was quite lower in surgeons (2.8 ± 1.4 vs 1.5 ± 1.4). In response to a clinical vignette of a 25 year old woman treated at 1 year with prophylactic cranial radiation (24 Gy), 62 % of pediatric oncologists and 43% of surgeons answered 3 or more questions regarding follow-up frequency, Hepatitis C surveillance, and late effects of cranial radiation in concordance with Japanese recommendations. Logistic regression analysis limited to pediatric oncologists showed learning experience (OR= 1.75; 95% CI, 1.05 to 2.93); practicing in a children's hospital (OR 5.11; 95% CI, 1.15 to 22.8); and practicing in a general hospital (OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.32 to 0.95) were associated with answering three or more questions correctly. CONCLUSIONS Preferences and knowledge with regard to long-term follow-up care of CCSs differ between pediatric oncologists and surgeons in Japan; pediatric oncologists appear to be more comfortable.

[1]  J. Okamura,et al.  Medical visits of childhood cancer survivors in Japan: A cross‐sectional survey , 2011, Pediatrics international : official journal of the Japan Pediatric Society.

[2]  D. Friedman,et al.  Childhood Cancer Survivors: Transition to Adult-Focused Risk-Based Care , 2010, Pediatrics.

[3]  L. Diller,et al.  Physician preferences and knowledge gaps regarding the care of childhood cancer survivors: a mailed survey of pediatric oncologists. , 2010, Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

[4]  D. Mulrooney,et al.  High-risk populations identified in Childhood Cancer Survivor Study investigations: implications for risk-based surveillance. , 2009, Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

[5]  P. Nathan,et al.  Health behaviors, medical care, and interventions to promote healthy living in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study cohort. , 2009, Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

[6]  D. Mulrooney,et al.  Chronic disease in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study cohort: a review of published findings. , 2009, Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

[7]  G. Armstrong,et al.  Late mortality among 5-year survivors of childhood cancer: a summary from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. , 2009, Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

[8]  P. Newacheck,et al.  Planning for Health Care Transitions: Results From the 2005–2006 National Survey of Children With Special Health Care Needs , 2009, Pediatrics.

[9]  M. Maeda.  Late effects of childhood cancer: life-threatening issues. , 2008, Journal of Nippon Medical School = Nippon Ika Daigaku zasshi.

[10]  A. Veerman,et al.  Long term survivors of childhood cancer: cure and care. The Erice statement. , 2007, European journal of cancer.

[11]  N. Terrin,et al.  Telling children and adolescents about their cancer diagnosis: cross‐cultural comparisons between pediatric oncologists in the US and Japan , 2007, Psycho-oncology.

[12]  W. Hobbie,et al.  Delivering long‐term follow‐up care to pediatric cancer survivors: Transitional care issues , 2006, Pediatric blood & cancer.

[13]  W. Wallace,et al.  Barriers to follow‐up care of survivors in the United States and the United Kingdom , 2006, Pediatric blood & cancer.

[14]  M. Ireland,et al.  Addressing Transition to Adult Health Care for Adolescents With Special Health Care Needs , 2005, Pediatrics.

[15]  J. McDonagh.  Growing up and moving on: Transition from pediatric to adult care , 2005, Pediatric transplantation.

[16]  Richard W Hornung,et al.  Health Care Preferences and Priorities of Adolescents With Chronic Illnesses , 2004, Pediatrics.

[17]  M. Hudson,et al.  Improving health care for adult survivors of childhood cancer: recommendations from a delphi panel of health policy experts. , 2004, Health policy.

[18]  M. Hudson,et al.  Health care for childhood cancer survivors , 2004, Cancer.

[19]  M. Hudson,et al.  Childhood cancer survivors' knowledge about their past diagnosis and treatment: Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. , 2002, JAMA.

[20]  F. Wamboldt,et al.  The parent-physician relationship in pediatric asthma care. , 2000, Journal of pediatric psychology.

[21]  J. Starý,et al.  [Long term survivors of childhood cancer: cure and care. The ERICE statement]. , 2009, Klinicka onkologie : casopis Ceske a Slovenske onkologicke spolecnosti.

[22]  L. Constine,et al.  Survivors of Childhood and Adolescent Cancer , 2008 .

[23]  J. Stockman,et al.  Chronic Health Conditions in Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer , 2008 .