Physical and social characteristics and support needs of adult female childhood cancer survivors who underwent hormone replacement therapy.

Abstract

Female childhood cancer survivors who develop gonadal dysfunction require female hormone replacement therapy (HRT) from puberty until menopause. However, the support provided in such cases has not been studied. We investigated the physical and social characteristics and support needs of adult female childhood cancer survivors who underwent HRT. Forty-nine adult female childhood cancer survivors completed self-administered questionnaires. We compared the clinical characteristics, health status, and social conditions between a group that underwent HRT and a group that did not, and we surveyed support needs of the group that underwent HRT. The median age of the subjects was 25.0years (range 20-41). Twenty subjects (40.8%) underwent HRT. A significantly high number of those who underwent HRT also underwent radiation therapy (p<0.01) and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (p<0.001), and none of them had a history of pregnancy or childbirth (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in physical symptoms and social characteristics between the groups. Those who experienced anxiety regarding fertility required information about HRT, a platform to share their concerns, and psychological support and cooperation among healthcare providers. Although the subjects of this survey exhibited good social adjustment regardless of whether or not they underwent HRT, they were anxious about fertility. It is important to understand the concerns and anxieties unique to female childhood cancer survivors and to enhance psychological support in addition to providing educational support so that HRT can be administered.