Cigarette Smoking Among Childhood Cancer Survivors

Sir.—Wasserman et al addressed a number of emerging concerns of recovered survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer. A prominent sequela is that of discrimination in obtaining health and life insurance. Despite the reality of normal life spans for many people treated for childhood cancer, refusals, restricted policies, and higher premiums are the lot for many survivors in the United States and Europe.^1,2

As part of a five-institution collaborative study of the long-term morbidity and mortality of adult childhood cancer survivors and their siblings, information was obtained about life and health insurance from respondents at the University of Kansas Medical Center.³ Through the University of Kansas Tumor Registry, 268 adults were identified who were diagnosed with cancer and treated in childhood between 1945 and 1975 and who had survived for at least five years after diagnosis. Up to two siblings per survivor were used as controls.

Using standardized