In recent decades, there has been considerable progress in the treatment of children and adolescents with cancer. In Switzerland, the 10-year survival rate is 88%.
However, ‘survivors’, as children and adolescents who have had cancer are referred to in many countries, often experience late effects of the treatment or the disease itself. Treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy can be particularly taxing on developing bodies. Late effects can affect any organ.
A wide range of late effects
For example, a second tumour can develop as a result of treatment. Childhood cancer survivors are also more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than the general population. A wide range of organs, including the ears, kidneys, and reproductive organs, may also be affected. Fatigue, cognitive and psychological effects are just a few examples of the late effects that can create lasting challenges in education and working life. Structured follow-up care is therefore essential in the lives of survivors.
Improving follow-up care for survivors
The annual PanCare Meeting took place in Basel at the end of September. PanCare is a European network dedicated to improving long-term follow-up care for childhood and adolescent cancer survivors. The local organisers of the meeting were SPOG President Katrin Scheinemann and Swiss paediatric oncologist Maria Otth. Katrin Scheinemann is Past Chair of PanCare and heads the PanCare Education Group. Maria Otth is a board member of the PanCare network.
During the three-day meeting, around 200 healthcare professionals, researchers, and patient representatives exchanged the latest scientific findings on late effects and good follow-up care.
The researchers presented studies on topics including fertility counselling, adapted physical activity, and late effects on the heart, kidneys, and lungs. They also presented examples of best practice in follow-up care and findings on the financial, legal, and insurance-related difficulties faced by survivors. Patient organisations such as Survivor Deutschland also contributed to the discussions.
In addition to good follow-up care, PanCare also considers raising awareness of late effects important. It places great emphasis on providing information that is easy for non-specialists to understand. The network has therefore produced plain-language summaries of late effects. These are available free of charge in nine European languages.
