Do cancer survivors have trouble adopting given their medical history?
There is no published research on this subject. Anecdotally, most adoption agencies state that they do not rule out cancer survivors as parents. However, adoption agencies often require medical examinations and/or a complete medical history. Most want a letter from an oncologist saying that the survivor has a good prognosis. Some also require that a cancer survivor wait until reaching their 5 year cancer-free anniversary before being eligible. Some of the countries that allow international adoption also will not work with cancer survivors, or require a certain number of years of being cancer-free. Adoption methods vary greatly from public to private and domestic to international. It is important to research and understand the health restrictions of the agencies you choose to work with. You may want to join the on-line adoption after cancer discussion group at yahoo.com.
