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Educational attainment among long-term survivors of cancer in childhood and adolescence: a Norwegian population-based cohort study

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Abstract

Purpose

The number of young cancer survivors has increased over the past few decades due to improvement in treatment regimens, and understanding of long-term effects among the survivors has become even more important. Educational achievements and choice of educational fields were explored here.

Methods

Five-year cancer survivors born in Norway during 1965–1985 (diagnosed <19 years) were included in our analysis by linking Norwegian population-based registries. Cox regression was applied to study the educational attainment among survivors of central nervous system (CNS) tumours, those assumed to have received CNS-directed therapy, and other cancer survivors relative to the cancer-free population. Logistic regression was used to compare the choice of educational fields between the cancer survivors at undergraduate and graduate level and the cancer-free population.

Results

Overall, a lower proportion of the cancer survivors completed intermediate (67 vs. 70 %), undergraduate (31 vs. 35 %) and graduate education (7 vs. 9 %) compared with the cancer-free population. Deficits in completion of an educational level were mainly observed among survivors of CNS-tumours and those assumed to have received CNS-directed therapy. Choices of educational fields among cancer survivors were in general similar with the cancer-free population at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

Conclusion

Survivors of CNS-tumours and those assumed to have received CNS-directed therapy were at increased risk for educational impairments compared with the cancer-free population. Choices of educational fields were in general similar.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

Careful follow-up of the survivors of CNS-tumours and those assumed to have received CNS-directed therapy is important at each level of education.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Norwegian Cancer Society.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Kalfarveien 31, 5018, Bergen, Norway

    Sara Ghaderi, Anders Engeland & Dag Moster

  2. Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, 5018, Bergen, Norway

    Anders Engeland, Maria Winther Gunnes, Dag Moster & Tone Bjørge

  3. Department of Paediatrics, Haukeland University Hospital, 5021, Bergen, Norway

    Maria Winther Gunnes & Dag Moster

  4. Department of Paediatric Medicine, Women and Children’s Unit, Oslo University Hospital, 0316, Oslo, Norway

    Ellen Ruud & Finn Wesenberg

  5. Department of Research, Statistics Norway, 0033, Oslo, Norway

    Astri Syse

  6. Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0316, Oslo, Norway

    Finn Wesenberg

  7. Cancer Registry of Norway, 0304, Oslo, Norway

    Finn Wesenberg & Tone Bjørge

Authors
  1. Sara Ghaderi
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  2. Anders Engeland
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  3. Maria Winther Gunnes
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  4. Dag Moster
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  5. Ellen Ruud
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  6. Astri Syse
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  7. Finn Wesenberg
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sara Ghaderi.

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Ghaderi, S., Engeland, A., Gunnes, M.W. et al. Educational attainment among long-term survivors of cancer in childhood and adolescence: a Norwegian population-based cohort study. J Cancer Surviv 10, 87–95 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-015-0453-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-015-0453-z

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