Stroke impact on mortality and psychologic morbidity within the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study

Background Poor socioeconomic and health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes in survivors of childhood cancer can lead to distress and overall negatively impact the lives of these individuals. The current report has highlighted the impact of stroke and stroke recurrence on mortality, psychological HRQOL, and socioeconomic outcomes within the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS). Methods The CCSS is a retrospective cohort study with longitudinal follow‐up concerning survivors of pediatric cancer who were diagnosed between 1970 and 1986. Mortality rates per 100 person‐years were calculated across 3 periods: 1) prior to stroke; 2) after first stroke and before recurrent stroke; and 3) after recurrent stroke. Socioeconomic outcomes, the standardized Brief Symptoms Inventory–18, the Medical Outcomes Study 36‐Item Short Form Health Survey, and the CCSS–Neurocognitive Questionnaire also were assessed. Results Among 14,358 participants (median age, 39.7 years), 224 had a stroke after their cancer diagnosis (single stroke in 161 patients and recurrent stroke in 63 patients). Based on 2636 deaths, all‐cause late mortality rates were 0.70 (95% CI, 0.68‐0.73) prior to stroke, 1.03 (95% CI, 0.73‐1.46) after the first stroke, and 2.42 (95% CI, 1.48‐3.94) after the recurrent stroke. Among 7304 survivors, those with stroke were more likely to live with a caregiver (single stroke odds ratio [OR], 2.3 [95% CI, 1.4‐3.8]; and recurrent stroke OR, 5.3 [95% CI, 1.7‐16.8]) compared with stroke‐free survivors. Stroke negatively impacted task efficiency (single stroke OR, 2.4 [95% CI, 1.4‐4.1] and recurrent stroke OR, 3.3 [95% CI, 1.1‐10.3]) and memory (single stroke OR, 2.1 [95% CI, 1.2‐3.7]; and recurrent stroke OR, 3.5 [95% CI, 1.1‐10.5]). Conclusions Stroke and stroke recurrence are associated with increased mortality and negatively impact HRQOL measures in survivors of pediatric cancer. Within the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study cohort, stroke and stroke recurrence are significantly associated with increased all‐cause mortality. Survivors who experience a stroke appear to be significantly more likely to have neurocognitive problems, live with a caregiver, and be unemployed compared with stroke‐free survivors.