Follow-up screening and detection for monitoring growth

Monitoring growth includes plotting your height and weight on a chart at regular intervals. Measurements should be taken every 2 to 3 months during therapy and for the first year after therapy, and then once or twice a year until growth is complete. Abnormalities in weight or height require a consultation with an endocrinologist or gastroenterologist experienced in treating survivors of childhood cancer. An endocrinologist is a doctor who specializes in the glands in the body that produce hormones and can diagnose and manage problems in their function. A gastroenterologist is a doctor who specializes in identifying and treating problems with the body’s gastrointestinal system (the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon and rectum, pancreas, gallbladder, bile ducts, and liver).

For more information about growth, see Chapter 10, Hormone- Producing Glands.

Medical management of body size and weight issues

If you are underweight or overweight, you need a consultation with a medical specialist, such as a gastroenterologist or endocrinologist, as mentioned above. Growth hormone deficiency results in lack of full growth potential and also should be addressed. A discussion with a dietitian can also be very helpful in planning a healthy diet. A plan for weight loss usually includes an increase in exercise and changes in diet. Family participation in physical activities also helps survivors maintain a normal body weight.