Whatever the treatment a child with cancer is receiving, he or she will be followed closely by the pediatric oncologist , other physician specialists and the multidisciplinary team assembled to work with both the child and the family.
Since the child will be on a research protocol in most cases, the physician will be able to outline for the parents an organized plan for follow-up evaluations. These may include specific liver function tests , urine tests for children with neuroblastoma, specific x-rays, psychologic testing or other tests that can help follow the progress and effects of the disease and the response to treatment.
Even when a child finishes a course of treatment, he or she will require long-term follow-up by a pediatric cancer expert. This is not only because some treatments have long-term side effects, but also because children who are cured of a first cancer do have a small risk of developing a second one. So even the child who finishes therapy and is apparently cured should be followed by a specialist for the rest of his or her life.
