Next Steps Clinic survivorship program

As a survivor of cancer or a bone marrow transplant, you may wonder how your diagnosis or treatment will affect your health and well-being in the future. Children's Hospital of Wisconsin has a special program to lead survivors through the next steps.

Our survivorship program, called the Next Steps Clinic, has a team of specialists who are experienced in the issues faced by survivors of childhood cancer and bone marrow transplants. The team includes an oncologist, nurse practitioner, nurse educator, psychologist, social worker, registered dietitian, schoolteacher and physical therapist.

The clinic allows survivors and their families to:

  • Ask questions and get answers about past treatment and future needs.
  • See many experts in one visit to discuss care.
  • Get summaries of past treatment and recommendations for future care.

Kayla used the Next Steps Clinic to address her health care needs after childhood cancer.

Justin, pictured here with his wife, is a childhood cancer survivor. He was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in 2001 and had his right leg amputated in 2002.

Benefits of clinic services

Anyone who has had cancer or a bone marrow transplant may experience related health problems later in life. Survivors and their families need a special kind of care to learn how to monitor and manage possible effects. Our team will:

  • Identify any possible effects from cancer treatment and create a plan to address them.
  • Educate each survivor about the therapy he or she received and what it may mean for future medical care.
  • Provide guidance on healthy lifestyle behaviors and good nutrition.
  • Offer support for school, vocational and social issues.
  • Help make connections to resources available for survivors, including camps, the Young Adult Oncology Group, survivor support websites, college scholarship opportunities and educational materials.
  • Provide a comprehensive summary of treatment and ongoing medical needs to the survivor and his or her primary care doctor.

We're here to support patients and families affected by cancer and bone marrow transplants. We work closely with you to make sure all questions are answered. Our goal is to help survivors live happy, healthy lives.

Next Steps Clinic is open to:

  • Cancer survivors diagnosed before age 30, regardless of current age.
  • Patients who received a bone marrow transplant more than two years ago.
  • Patients diagnosed with cancer who completed treatment more than three years ago or were diagnosed more than five years ago.

The clinic is open to survivors regardless of where they received their previous treatments.

Other resources 

Appointments

To schedule an appointment, call (414) 266-2774. Some patients may require additional appointments at the hospital. These will be scheduled on the same day whenever possible.