Childhood Cancer Survivor Surveys
Listening to survivors. Informing our work.
The experiences of childhood cancer survivors and families guide our work at Children’s Cancer Cause. Through our surveys, we listen to their concerns, identify unmet needs, and gather perspectives that shape our advocacy, survivorship education, and program priorities.
Explore the findings below to learn what survivors and families have shared about life after childhood cancer - from long-term health concerns and emotional well-being to financial challenges and access to care.
Our most recent survey results were released in September of 2026. Explore those findings here.
2026: Calling for Lifelong Care and Support
Childhood cancer’s impact continues years—and sometimes decades—after treatment. Among surveyed survivors, 68% reported an ongoing emotional impact, while more than half encountered a barrier to survivorship care in the past year. Their responses call for stronger lifelong care, mental health support, and sustained research investment.
2025: Barriers to Care and the Transition to Independence
Survivors described challenges accessing affordable care, navigating insurance, and taking greater responsibility for their health as young adults. One in five respondents reported delaying or skipping medical care because of cost, underscoring the need for better support during the transition to adult healthcare.
2024: The Emotional Weight of Survivorship
Fear of recurrence and the lasting emotional effects of childhood cancer were prominent concerns. More than one in four surveyed survivors named a mental health issue as their top health concern, highlighting the importance of addressing emotional well-being alongside physical late effects.
2023: Future Health, Fertility, and Life After Cancer
More than 70% of respondents ranked fear of relapse or a second cancer among their top three health concerns, and 40% included fertility. Survivors’ experiences illustrate how treatment can continue to influence health, family planning, and daily life long after cancer ends.
2022: Understanding What It Means to Be a Survivor
Survivors challenged the assumption that finishing treatment means their health challenges are over. The survey explored fears of relapse, ways of coping with anxiety, and gaps in follow-up care—including that 17% of respondents were not receiving follow-up care.
2021: Learning Needs and Lifelong Follow-Up
More than 70% of surveyed survivors wanted to learn more about late effects risks. Responses also highlighted the experiences of survivors treated decades earlier who felt overlooked, reinforcing the need for education and follow-up support throughout adulthood.
2020: Childhood Cancer Families During COVID-19
Early findings from our pandemic survey revealed added financial strain, care disruptions, and overwhelming anxiety among families and survivors. Two-thirds of responding families reported reduced income, while approximately 30% reported delays in treatment or follow-up care.
2017–2018 | The Financial Burden of Childhood Cancer:
Conducted in partnership with the Patient Advocate Foundation, these surveys examined challenges facing childhood cancer survivors and caregivers. Among surveyed survivors, one in four reported that care costs affected their choice of college, and 30% said those costs influenced their career path or job choice. Read the 2017–2018 survey summary (PDF) →