Cancer’s Role in Education: Effects and Setbacks of Treatment
By Theertha Prasath
This article reflects how cancer can be a major obstacle to patients’ education, not only exploring the physical and emotional toll it can take on them, but also demonstrating how they can manage these effects and continue their learning even through treatment.
Cancer treatment is hard, but what’s often overlooked is its inevitable effects on pediatric patients’ education. Children with cancer are more likely to repeat a grade, have trouble making friends, and struggle academically. Although many hospitals and schools have come up with ways for patients to continue with their education, it is important to understand the challenges that treatment can cause.
During Treatment: Cancer and the Ability to Learn
Some types of medication or therapy can directly affect the patients’ cognitive functioning, physical abilities, and sensory capabilities. For instance, certain treatments require high doses of methotrexate or cytarabine, both of which could affect the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). More impactful on learning, however, is radiation therapy, especially involving the brain. This can cause issues with memory, concentration, organization, and hand-eye coordination, which may even continue after treatment is over.
After Treatment: Transitioning Back to Normal
In some cases, the long-term effects of cancer can be as hard—or maybe even harder—than the actual process of going through treatment. Often, patients skip at least one year due to treatment, which not only causes difficulties academically but also isolates them from peers and the outside world, which can eventually lead to them feeling behind, whether it be physically, socially, or academically. For instance, chemotherapy often causes hair loss, which could make a child feel insecure around other kids, especially if the others don’t know about the child’s cancer. This may result in major insecurity or low self-esteem for the child, and in the long run, it may cause significant emotional problems.
Supporting Students with Cancer
There are many ways to manage patients’ cognitive skills while still going through treatment, such as homeschooling, exercising regularly, or creating a schedule. For instance, in Australia, the Oncology Education Program was created to ensure patients can go through education while still undergoing treatment. After therapy, it can help parents to talk to their child about their cancer before they go back to school, to help them communicate with their peers, especially younger children who don’t know much about it. If learning problems persist at this point, certain laws (the Section 504 — The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), Americans with Disabilities Act) protect these children's rights, so they can be given special accommodations as needed to successfully complete their learning journey.
Works Cited
American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team, and American Society of Clinical Oncology. “Going to School During and After Cancer Treatment.” American Cancer Society, 3 February 2025, https://www.cancer.org/cancer/childhood-cancer/going-to-school-during-and-after-cancer-treatment.html. Accessed 8 August 2025.
CureSearch for Children's Cancer. “Educational Issues After Childhood Cancer.” CureSearch, 8 October 2014, https://curesearch.org/Educational-Issues. Accessed 8 August 2025.
Delloso, Stella, et al. “Maintaining Schooling for Children With Cancer During and Post Treatment: Parents’ Perspectives of a Theory-Based Program.” Continuity in Education, 15 March 2021, https://continuityineducation.org/articles/10.5334/cie.24. Accessed 8 August 2025.
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. “Side-Effect Management: Effects of Childhood Cancer Treatment on Learning.” Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, https://www.lls.org/sites/default/files/National/USA/Pdf/Publications/FF14_Side_Effect_Mgt_Childhood_Learning_2020_FINAL.pdf. Accessed 8 August 2025.
Together Teens & 20s. “Educational Challenges for Pediatric Cancer Patients.” Together by St. Jude, 2018, https://together.stjude.org/en-us/teensand20s/keep-up-with-school/educational-challenges.html. Accessed 8 August 2025.