Charles A. Sklar, MD, is an Emeritus Member of the Department of Pediatrics at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). As Director of MSK’s Long-Term Follow-Up Program, he oversaw the care of survivors of all types of pediatric cancers and educated them about possible complications that may develop later in life.

With his team, Dr. Sklar developed care plans for pediatric cancer survivors to monitor them for specific health problems related to their treatment. Trained as a pediatric endocrinologist, he cared for patients with endocrine (hormonal) complications that developed because of cancer therapy. He also conducted research to assess the risks of these complications and other disorders in pediatric cancer survivors.

To study the long-term effects of treatment, Dr. Sklar was one of the founding members of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS), which tracks thousands of adult survivors of pediatric cancers to determine the late effects of cancer therapy. The findings of the CCSS identified several diseases and disorders which may be more common among some childhood cancer survivors — information which healthcare professionals now use to determine the best way to monitor the health of survivors into adulthood.

In addition to specializing in pediatric cancer survivorship, Dr. Sklar treated children with endocrine tumors, such as those affecting the thyroid, adrenal, and pituitary glands. He has been actively involved in several professional organizations, including the Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation, Endocrine Society, American Association of Clinical Endocrinology, and the Children’s Cancer Cause. He is the recipient of an Outstanding Service Award from CancerCare as well as the Pioneer Award for Pediatric Survivorship Care from the Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation.