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Jun 26, 2026

'Children who survive cancer shouldn't be forced to settle for survival alone'

Children who survive cancer shouldn't be forced to settle for survival alone

We can't let success stories blind us to harsh realities.

Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add as a preferred source on Google Add us as preferred source Comments OPINION By Aoife Regan - GOSH Impact/Charitable Programmes Director, Rachel Miller - Anthony Nolan Patient Services Head/Lead Nurse 09:37, Fri, Jun 26, 2026 Updated: 14:23, Fri, Jun 26, 2026

NHS nurses

We can't let ourselves be blinded by success (Image: Getty)

There is a danger in only telling the success story of childhood cancer. Yes, there have been extraordinary strides in the treatment, outcomes and research invested into children’s cancers. In the UK, more than 8 in 10 (84%) children diagnosed with cancer in the UK survive their disease for five years or more. Treatments that would have seemed unimaginable a generation ago, are now giving children and young people much-need hope and chances that did not previously exist.

In a growing number of cases, children and young people are being offered new, cutting-edge medicines or therapies, such as CAR T-cell therapy (where a patient’s immune cells are genetically modified to find and kill cancer cells). This is leading to increased survival rates for previously incurable cancers and rare conditions.

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So that progress is promising. But that’s not the whole picture. For the thousands of children and young people who are diagnosed with cancer every year in the UK, survival is just one part of one of the toughest journeys they will go through in their lives.

Many who survive cancer in childhood have a much higher risk of ill health in their lifetime from diabetes, heart conditions, cognitive impairment and a lasting impact on their growth and fertility.

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