By Sia Ling Xin

A NEW clinic, to better prevent childhood cancer survivors from developing permanent side effects from their treatment, will be set up by next year in the National University Hospital (NUH).

The clinic will gather doctors of different disciplines under one roof, to offer patients more holistic care and convenience.

The doctors will monitor the patients for delayed side effects that can develop years after cancer treatment, such as hormonal imbalance and heart failure.

Medication and therapy can be given to minimise or prevent the problems from progressing.

Childhood cancer survivors, who have survived at least two years after treatment, will undergo annual check-ups at the clinic, as most delayed side effects manifest two to five years after cancer treatment is completed.

The NUH decided to set up the clinic based on preliminary results from its ongoing study led by Dr Aung Lele, senior registrar of its division of paediatric haemotology-oncology.

The study found that up to 10 per cent of 79 NUH childhood cancer survivors experienced hearing, speech and sight problems - late side effects of cancer treatment. It will be presented on Oct 16 and 17 at the National Healthcare Group Annual Scientific Congress.

In another study to be presented, the Institute of Mental Health found that 15 per cent of 350 pathological gamblers have attempted suicide before.

So doctors should look out for depression and suicidal tendencies in such patients, and treat them early, said the deputy chief of the hospital's addictions medicine department, Dr Thomas Lee, who led the study.

lingxin@sph.com.sg

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