Cancer & Blood Disorders (JJCCC)

Hem/Onc Outpatient Programs

Family Centered Care Approach Parent Education My Child Has Been Diagnosed Hem/Onc Visiting Guidelines Reduce Infection Risk During Stay Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle Food Safety Camps Support Groups Getting to the Hem/Onc Unit

Hem/Onc Medical Director JJCCC Medical Director Refer a Patient

Alejandra is about to turn 18 and is enjoying her last year of high school. She enjoys playing tennis and hanging out with her friends like any typical high school senior would. However, her teenage years have been anything but “typical.” When Alejandra was 12, she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).

Alejandra has been cared for at the Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center (JJCCC) at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach throughout her courageous journey, where she received intense rounds of chemotherapy treatment. Alejandra is winning the fight against leukemia, and has been done with treatment for three years. However, Alejandra will continue to require surveillance screening for late effects from the chemotherapy for life, which is why Alejandra participates in the late effects program at Miller Children’s. The JJCCC STAR (Survivors’ Treatment Assessment and Resource) Program is designed to educate patients who are no longer undergoing treatment, to help them understand and manage the late effects of cancer therapy following surgery, chemotherapy and radiation that they will face throughout their life.

“Throughout the years, Alejandra has had a very successful recovery and has learned about late effects of her treatment and how to manage,” says Susan Shannon, nurse practitioner, JJCCC. “Alejandra has overcome some great obstacles, and she’s never lost sight of what’s important and always has a positive attitude. She is focusing her entire senior project on Jonathan Jaques Children's Cancer Center and giving back to other children that are now in the situation she once was.”

In June, Alejandra will be graduating from Whittier Christian High School, and fulfilling her next goal of attending college at California State University, Los Angeles, to pursue a career in nursing. Thanks to the great care she received at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach, Alejandra only needs to come back to the hospital for routine check ups and can devote more of her time on things she loves – like giving back – and volunteering for the Torch Run.

Late Effects Program

The health care team at JJCCC recognizes that a cancer patient’s journey does not end with their last treatment and continues to care for its pediatric cancer patients into adulthood. JJCCC’s STAR (Survivors’ Treatment Assessment and Resource) Program helps patients who are no longer undergoing treatment, understand and manage the late effects of cancer therapy following surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

The visit includes a comprehensive evaluation of the patient's physical health, including medical history review, physical exam and screening tests. Education and counseling on late effects of treatment, a thorough treatment summary. Recommendations and explanations are given to long-term follow-up patients and their families. Healthy lifestyle behaviors are stressed in regards to diet, exercise, environmental exposure and stress. Psychosocial needs are also addressed to help assess coping skills and academic and social development.

The STAR care team screens, identifies, diagnoses and treats the late effects of cancer treatment as early as possible and educates patients and their families about the long-term health implications associated with childhood cancer survival.

The ultimate goal is to follow patients yearly to provide assessment and treatment of late effects and to act as a referral program to direct patients to services, treatment and community resources. While not every patient returns once a year, all of JJCCC’s former patients are enrolled in STAR and return at least every two years, with some returning even though they live outside of Southern California.

Patients who did not receive treatment at JJCCC at Miller Children’s can also be referred to the Late Effects Program by physicians, school nurses, health care professionals and other health-related community agencies.