Follow-up of children who survive cancer

doi:10.1136/bmj.39490.692627.80

BMJ 2008;336:732-733 (5 April), doi:10.1136/bmj.39490.692627.80

Editorials

Follow-up of children who survive cancer

Should be individually tailored but may not be necessary forall

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

More than three quarters of children with cancer survive intoadulthood, but cure is not the end of their journey. At least60% have substantial morbidities as a result of their curativetreatment. Most adults who survive cancer are discharged fromactive follow-up at five years, but historically children havebeen followed up for life; this is becoming unsustainable. Areview published in the BMJ more than five years ago exploredstrategies for follow-up of children who have survived cancer.¹Has anything changed since then?

Two large epidemiological studies—one in the United Statesand the other in the United Kingdom—have since been published.²³ More than 10 000 survivors in 26 centres participated in theUS study, which found that 62% of survivors have some late effectsof treatment (common terminology criteria for adverse events(version 3) grade 1-5), with 27% having severe or life threateningconditions (grade 3-5).⁴ Data from . . . [Full text of this article]

Meriel Jenney, consultant paediatric oncologist¹, Gill Levitt, consultant in paediatric oncology and late effects²

¹ Children’s Hospital for Wales, Cardiff CF14 4XW, ² Great Ormond Street Hospital, London WC1N 3JH

meriel.jenney@cardiffandvale.wales.nhs.uk

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