# Fear of recurrence, secondary cancers, and health problems in long-term survivors of childhood cancer: Findings from a Canadian cohort.

> **Author:** Benjamin Caplan, MD (ABFM Board Certified, MA Lic. #240562, NPI: 1962722637)
> **Publisher:** CED Clinic (https://cedclinic.com)
> **Canonical URL:** https://cedclinic.com/fear-of-recurrence-secondary-cancers-and-health-problems-in-long-term-survi/
> **Published:** 2026-04-28T07:04:09-04:00 | **Last Modified / Clinically Audited:** 2026-09-28T17:16:16-04:00
> **Clinical Summary:** Survivors of childhood cancer are at lifelong risk for health problems, secondary cancers, and recurrence. However, little is known about their fears related...

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CED Clinical Relevance  #60Notable Clinical Interest  Emerging findings or policy developments worth monitoring closely.
🔬 Evidence Watch  |  CED Clinic

Journal
Cancer

Study Type
Cohort

Population
Human participants

Why This Matters

This item covers developments relevant to [cannabis medicine](https://cedclinic.com/essential-oils-industrial-hemp-antimicrobial-benefits/) and [clinical practice](https://cedclinic.com/cannabis-reproductive-health-women-clinical-evidence/). Clinicians monitoring evidence in this area should review the source material.

Clinical Summary
Survivors of childhood cancer are at lifelong risk for health problems, secondary cancers, and recurrence. However, little is known about their fears related to these risks nor the factors associated with them. A Canadian cohort of childhood cancer survivors (n = 284; 51.1% male; mean age = 22.3 years, mean time off treatment = 12.4 years) reported on their fears of health problems, secondary cancers, and recurrence; physical functioning; psychosocial symptoms; and [substance use](https://cedclinic.com/stroke-risk-assessment-substance-use/). The relationship between their fears and various demographic, physical, and psychosocial variables was assessed through multivariate logistic regression analyses. Thirty-seven percent of survivors reported at least one cancer fear. Fear of secondary cancer was the most reported (25.0%), followed by fear of future health problems (24.6%) and fear of recurrence (21.8%). Survivors who reported having ever drunk to intoxication were more likely to report all three cancer fears (ps 

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### Verification & Medical Governance

- **Lead Clinical Author:** Benjamin Caplan, MD
- **Credentials:** Board Certified in Family Medicine (ABFM), Former CMO Canna Care Docs (250,000+ patients supervised), Founder & CMO CED Clinic & CED Foundation, Author of *The Doctor-Approved Cannabis Handbook* (Penguin Random House).
- **Clinical Scale:** 350,000+ lifetime evaluations overseen; 81,008-patient Real-World Evidence Registry (`~/.ced_rwe_vault.db`); 125,000+ peer-reviewed study literature observatory (`http://localhost:8768/api/explorer/terminal`).
- **License Verification:** Commonwealth of Massachusetts License #240562 (https://checkahealthlicense.mass.gov/).
- **NPI Registry:** 1962722637 (https://npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov/provider-view/1962722637).
- **Ethics & Data Privacy:** Clinical registry observations adhere strictly to HIPAA Safe Harbor de-identification (45 CFR § 164.514(b)) and criteria for secondary research exemption under 45 CFR § 46.104(d)(4).