LTFU Study contributions to health of childhood cancer survivors

Broad participation in the Long-Term Follow-Up Study has contributed to an increase of knowledge about long-term health of childhood cancer survivors.

Published: 9/1/15

Diverse hands

A report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology highlights the many contributions that the LTFU Study has made to our knowledge about the health of childhood cancer survivors. The report looked at the “entire landscape of health issues” that childhood cancer survivors face throughout their lives. It showed that large multi-center studies like the LTFU Study have been crucial to increasing our understanding about survivorship.

Thanks to the contributions of LTFU Study participants, we can now:

  • Understand the connections between specific cancer treatments during childhood and chronic health conditions that occur later in life, like heart disease, lung disease, and second cancers. 
  • Identify key modifiable risk factors such as obesity, smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes that further increase your risk for health problems as you age. These risk factors are called modifiable because they can be modified by changes in your lifestyle so you can take control and decrease your own risk for chronic health conditions.
  • Understand the impact of genetics on your chances of developing a second cancer or chronic condition:  LTFU researchers have studied the genetic makeup of almost 6,000 survivors to learn about genetic factors that influence the risk of developing another type of cancer.  This may help us identify patients who can benefit from additional health screenings or targeted programs to help them change unhealthy behaviors.

Citation

Collaborative Research in Childhood Cancer Survivorship: The Current Landscape. Bhatia S, Armenian SH, Armstrong GT, van Dulmen-den Broeder E, Hawkins MM, Kremer LC, Kuehni CE, Olsen JH, Robison LL, Hudson MM.  J Clin Oncol. 2015 Sep 20;33(27):3055-64.