Survivors of cancer diagnosed when young show a substantial increase in the risk of dying during adult life when compared to the general population. Treatment for cancer can also leave long term health problems, including those that only come to light in later life. There is currently insufficient research into the wider physical and mental health of childhood cancer survivors. This is despite these topics being ranked as top priority by survivors and their families in two recent UK-wide research priority setting exercises.
The project responds to the increasing demand from the government, patients and their carers to quantify the impact of a childhood cancer diagnosis on later life. It makes use of recent NHS investment in electronic health data for research. The study will analyse data from the Scottish Cancer Registry linked with other routine health data. Statistical approaches and more sophisticated methods in network science will be used to understand which patients are at higher risk of long-term problems after treatment for their cancer. The research will form the basis of design recommendations for an NHS surveillance programme for survivors of childhood cancer.
