In recent years, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has become part of American dialog. Just a decade ago, PTSD -- a very real severe anxiety disorder in which a person suffers psychological trauma after an exposure to an event -- was a little known and privately discussed matter, seldom center stage in mainstream media.
Most of the PTSD cases the media has reported on involve the tidal wave of veterans returning from the current wars. As of fiscal year 2009, The Veteran’s Administration reported 390,000 veterans were receiving benefits for PTSD, making it the fourth-most prevalent service-connect disability; new VA cases are emerging daily.
Less reported are the number of young adults survivors of childhood cancer who develop PTSD at a rate four times greater than their healthy siblings, according to a Childhood Cancer Survivors Study published in the May 2010 journal Pediatrics.
PTSD symptoms can include re-experiencing the original trauma(s) through flashbacks or nightmares, a sense of avoidance of activities, places, thoughts or feeling that remind one of the trauma. Intense physical reaction can occur when reminded about the event, including a pounding heart, muscle tension, rapid breathing, nausea and sweating. Other common PTSD symptoms are feeling detached and emotional numbness, difficult falling or staying asleep, irritability or outbursts of anger, difficulty concentrating, feelings of mistrust, hopelessness and depression, alienation, and thoughts of suicide.
“Childhood cancer survivors, like others with PTSD, have been exposed to an event that made them feel very frightened or helpless or horrified,” said Dr. Margaret Stuber, a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences, a Jonsson Cancer Center researcher and first author of the study. “This study demonstrates that some of these survivors are suffering many years after successful [cancer] treatment. Development of PTSD can be quite disabling for cancer survivors. This is treatable and not something they have to just live with.”
The study focused on 6,542 childhood cancer survivors over 18 who were diagnosed with cancer between 1970 and 1986 and 368 of their siblings as a control group. The research was funded by National Institutes of Health.
Other studies have looked for PTSD in childhood cancer survivors while they're still children or adolescents, but the percentage reporting symptoms is far less, about three percent, Stuber said.
There could be several reasons for the discrepancy. Today's treatment regimens employ less toxic treatments and rely far less on whole head radiation for brain tumors, causing far less trauma to the young patients.
Additionally, the improved supportive care available today may result in fewer physical and cognitive late effects from treatment.
The survivors in Stuber's study often underwent far harsher treatment regimens commonly used in the 1970s and early 1980s, and within the group studied, the more toxic and damaging the therapies, the more reported cases of PTSD.
Many patients in the study underwent harsh therapies, they often suffer from significant late effects – infertility, cognitive impairment, stunted growth. This adds to stress levels as well. Those that suffer from cognitive impairment may find it impossible to go to college or to land a good job that earns them an adequate income.
Another reason more of the young adults reported PTSD symptoms is because they're facing the stressful situations typical for people at that age – finding a job, getting married, starting a family. That stress may exacerbate the PTSD, said Stuber.
“Because more damage was done to their bodies, it makes it more difficult to have a good life later. They may feel like they're damaged goods. While treatment options such as therapy and medication are available to help the survivors manage their symptoms, addressing the issue will not be simple,” Stuber said in a written statement.
Lynette Summerill is an award-winning writer who lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. In addition to writing about cancer-related issues, she writes a blog, Nonsmoking Nation, which follows global tobacco news and events.