Children’s Cancer Cause named the Penn State Health Children’s Hospital Survivorship Program as the recipient of our 2024 Survivorship Champion's Prize.

The $10,000 Champion’s Prize is awarded annually to a group, program, or institution making significant advances in programs and services to provide lifelong health maintenance for survivors of childhood cancers.

Our Selection Committee lauded this program for its model of health care transitions to long-term care after treatment, engagement of primary care providers, use of telemedicine, and its large rural outreach area. These services and resources offer a model of care for the 500,000 survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer in the United States who face serious lifelong health risks as a result of their cancer or its treatment.

By the age of 50, more than 99 percent of childhood cancer survivors have developed a chronic health problem, and 96% have experienced a severe or life-threatening condition caused by the toxicity of their treatment.

Despite these complex health challenges, half of survivors surveyed by the Children’s Cancer Cause in the summer of 2024 don’t have a survivorship care plan in place to help navigate their long-term health needs. In this Annual Survivor Survey, 30 percent of survivors reported that they either don’t know their greatest health vulnerability (14%) or they’ve self-deduced their biggest health risk from internet research (16%).

Survivorship programs like the one at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital aim to ensure that survivors are empowered with knowledge about their specific health risks and monitored closely for late effects. 

“Our multidisciplinary team is centered around providing holistic, personalized care, and our mission is to empower our survivors with education and comprehensive support. We are truly honored to be the recipients of this year’s Champion’s Prize,” said Smita Dandekar, MD, Director of the Childhood Cancer Survivorship Program at Penn State Health Children's Hospital. Learn about the clinic, patient eligibility, and more here.

Dr. Dandekar notes that Prize funds will help support a REDcap database of survivors to be used for current and future research, a virtual library on late effects, and an educational program focused on nutrition and its impact on cardio metabolic health.

Impact updates will be regularly shared out on the Champion’s Prize main page, where you can also read about past recipients and how Prize funds have helped to further their survivorship work.