According to a new study, children who beat cancer were hospitalized more frequently and for longer amounts of time as adults, when compared to peers who have never been diagnosed and treated for cancer.

The most common reasons for such frequent hospital bouts were due to blood disorders, among other medical issues.

Anne C. Kirchhoff, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of pediatrics at the Huntsman Cancer Institute of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, believes that cancer-focused medical care is critical for determining health issues in cancer survivors throughout their entire lives.

“Our findings demonstrate that childhood cancer survivors face ongoing problems that can lead to hospitalization, even for those who are decades past their original cancer diagnosis. This can negatively impact their quality of life,” said Kirchhoff in a statement.

The study’s researchers looked at 1,499 childhood cancer survivors who were treated for their specific disease between 1975 and 2005. The participants were a minimum of five years past their original diagnosis. The data collected included the type of cancer, treatment, and demographics.

Researchers found that childhood cancer survivors were 52 percent more likely to require hospital visits years after their treatment compared to sex- and age-matched people without histories of cancer. In addition, cancer survivors were also 35 percent more likely to remain in the hospital for longer periods of time, as compared to the control group.

The findings of the study are published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.