Support after cancer: P.O.S.T. program

Find a cancer specialist

You or your child has survived cancer. Now it’s time to focus on how to stay healthy after treatment. The Pediatric Oncology Survivors in Transition (P.O.S.T.) program is your cornerstone for support and healthy lifestyle guidance for childhood cancer survivors of all ages.

We’ll help you identify and address any late effects of cancer treatment, provide individualized information about the life-saving treatments received and more.

We also recognize the importance of teamwork. That’s why we’re part of the Chicagoland Children’s Health Alliance, partnering with Pediatrics at NorthShore University HealthSystem and the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital in pediatric hematology. Through us, your child has access to even more specialists and programs.

About P.O.S.T. clinic

Our purpose of the P.O.S.T. program is to improve the health and well-being of childhood cancer survivors. Promoting lifelong measures that make a difference – such as adherence to a schedule of follow-up appointments and routine screening tests – is what we do.

We educate patients, parents and health care providers about the long-term effects of cancer treatment and provide referrals to specialists as needed.

We also offer psychological counseling and guidance to help navigate any school, vocational and neurocognitive concerns.

It’s about providing the right recommendations and support to ensure survivors are equipped to lead long and healthy lives.

Advocate Children’s Hospital care team

Your child’s team of expert supporters includes:

Pediatric oncologists
Nurse coordinators
Social workers
Therapists
Dietitians
School support liaisons
Pediatric neuropsychologists

We’re all here to serve one purpose: to help survivors live their healthiest life after cancer.

Why life-long survivorship care matters

We believe life-long follow up is critical for childhood cancer survivors.

There’s plenty of good news to celebrate, too. Currently, the estimated 5-year survival rate for childhood, adolescent and young adult cancers exceeds 80%. That translates to nearly 500,000 cancer survivors in the U.S. We believe that providing continuing education and support helps improve their lives in tangible and intangible ways.

Meanwhile, treatments for pediatric cancer continue to improve – along with overall cure rates in children.

P.O.S.T. program eligibility

Our P.O.S.T. program is open to childhood cancer survivors who are 5 years from diagnosis or have been off treatment for at least 2 years. We see survivors from all over the Chicagoland area, even if treated outside of Advocate Health. We see childhood cancer survivors of all ages – patients do not age out of the program.

Your child’s first visit to the P.O.S.T. clinic will be much like other follow-up visits. The time you spend may last longer, though. You’ll start with a visit with a P.O.S.T. clinic nurse who will review your child’s survivorship treatment summary and screening recommendations for future follow-up visits. We’ll craft your child’s personal plan together from there.

We also offer telehealth visits as a convenient way for adolescents and young adults who may have moved away or have busy schedules to still connect into the program.