Late Effects Board
Dr Gill Levitt, Chair, Consultant in paediatric oncology and late effects, Great Ormond St Hospital NHS Trust, Honorary Consultant, UCLH.
The Late Effects Board was set up in October 2006 and is the first late effects board to be set up within the UK cancer networks. Studies on paediatric survivors have highlighted the late sequelae of cancer treatment and the long term effect on quality of life. More than two thirds have been shown to have chronic conditions and in a minority these are life threatening. Long term follow–up of survivors of paediatric cancers has long been established within the UK paediatric cancer centres to enable surveillance and prompt treatment of late effects.
With the marked improvement in survival of many of the adult cancers it is now time to address their needs and in doing so provide a seamless service for the adult childhood cancer survivors.
The challenge for the board’s first year has been to gather together interested members of the different tumour boards and interested specialists. (Endocrinologists, neurologists, reproductive medicine experts, cardiologists etc). to provide a forum to provide strategic advice and guidance to organise appropriate, cost effective long term follow-up service for all cancer survivors.
The board has made progress in forming an age appropriate service for paediatric survivors and starting to involve paediatric shared care hospitals in long term follow-up.
The Improving Outcomes Guidance for Children and Young People with malignancy was published in 2005. Work on converting the Guidance into standards for Peer Review is underway.
At present there is no guidance for long term care of adult although the NSF for long term conditions primarily provides a focus for chronic neurological conditions may act as guidance for those with other chronic conditions.
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