The importance of the CCSS is far-reaching and encompasses the well-being of the cancer survivor, the practice of the pediatric oncologist, and the research questions of the cancer investigator.
For study participants, the CCSS can provide increased understanding of the consequences of their disease and treatment. This understanding can help them make informed choices regarding health behaviors and may have a direct and crucial impact on the length and quality of their lives.
For current and future cancer patients, the study can help lead to improvements in treatment protocols that will minimize adverse health effects of therapy.
The CCSS is also of importance to a wide range of constituents in the scientific community. For the pediatric oncologist, knowledge of late effects of therapy is critical to the design and choice of optimal cancer treatment regimens.
For health care providers and planners, the study offers the first opportunity to assess the impact of long-term cancer survivorship on the delivery of care.
As the age of these survivors increases, the CCSS will be instrumental in assessing the economic and logistic consequences of survivorship for the entire health care delivery system.
Finally, the cohort can provide a dynamic framework and resource for epidemiologists and biologists to investigate current and emerging questions regarding consequences of therapy, genetic associations, disease processes and causation, and the quality of life of survivors.
