Late Effects in Childhood Cancer Survivors: Early Studies, Survivor Cohorts, and Significant Contributions to the Field of Late Effects

Abstract

With improvement in cure of childhood cancer came the responsibility to investigate the long-term morbidity and mortality associated with the treatments accountable for this increase in survival. Several large cohorts of childhood cancer survivors have been established throughout Europe and North America to facilitate research on long-term complications of cancer treatment. The cohorts have made significant contributions to the understanding of early mortality, somatic late complications, and psychosocial outcomes among childhood cancer survivors, which has been translated into the design of new treatment protocols for pediatric cancers, with the goal to reduce the potential risk and severity of late effects.

Keywords: Cancer research; Childhood cancer survivors; Late effects; Long-term complications; Survivor cohorts.