After initial treatment, most patients return home, coming back to St. Jude for follow-up tests, check-ups and treatments. Long-term follow-up care is also provided to St. Jude patients for years after cancer treatment is completed.
Travel and Follow-up Visits
After your child is accepted as a patient, St. Jude offers help with travel plans and costs for your child and one (1) parent or guardian for planned treatments and check ups.
- If you live more than 35 miles and less than 300 miles from St. Jude, the hospital will arrange bus or rail travel for you, or pay for car mileage.
- If you live more than 300 miles from St. Jude, the hospital will arrange bus, rail or air travel, or cover the cost of auto mileage or a rental car.
Except for auto mileage, you must request all help with travel in advance.
Infection and Your Child
If your child’s immune system is weak because of disease or treatment, you will need to take care to prevent infection at home. Most children treated at St. Jude have weakened immune systems. Treatments that can cause weakened immunity include:
- chemotherapy
- radiation therapy
- steroids
Without a healthy immune system, it will be easier for your child to get an infection. Infections can have more serious consequences in children with cancer and blood disorders. While you are at St. Jude, your care team members will help you learn how to help prevent and control infections so you can help protect your child at home.
Medical Record Requests
There are many reasons to request a copy of your child’s medical records, including keeping a record of your child’s diagnosis, complete treatment plan and follow-up. St. Jude provides medical records to patients at no cost.
Unlike other hospitals, St. Jude treatment does not end the day your child is declared cancer-free. At St. Jude, our goal is for every child to survive — and also to live a full, happy and healthy life.
First we help you get your child cancer-free. Then, we help your child stay healthy.
As a St. Jude patient, your child can receive at least a decade of follow-up care.
New cures means more survivors. More survivors means support needed as adults.
St. Jude identifies long-term impacts after cancer and provides supportive care for survivors.