Abstract:

Five year survival rates have greatly increased in childhood cancer and maintaining physical and psychosocial health of survivors has come to the fore in long-term. Survivors face many problems related to cancer itself and treatment exposure. Cardiac, endocrine, neurological, cognitive, psychological and social late effects, which may occur even years after the completion of treatment, may cause significant limitations in their life. With long-term follow-up, it is aimed to prevent and early detect the late effects, to meet the physical and psychosocial needs of the child, to help them for adaptation to social life, and to provide a healthy lifestyle advice to protect the child from secondary cancer risks. In order to following the survivors effectively, it should be based on evidence-based approaches and carried out by a multidisciplinary team. The pediatric nurses play an important role in providing holistic and family-centered care in long-term follow-up of childhood cancer survivors. The nurse ensures survivors’ needs with the individualized care plans based on the standard guidelines. In this article, the importance and the scope of the follow-up and the role of the nurse in the follow-up were discussed. 

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