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People who survive cancer during childhood and adolescence are at risk of suffering a serious health condition in later life.
Professor Mike Hawkins is using data collected in the UK from survivors of childhood, teenage and young adult cancer to better determine those at risk of developing a serious illness in the decades after cancer treatment.
Risk stratification of the national population of survivors of childhood, teenage and young adult cancer for evidence-based clinical follow-up
Professor Michael Hawkins
Centre for Childhood Cancer Survivor Studies, University of Birmingham
Birmingham B15 2TT
1 October 2017
36 months
£249,842
Due to improvements in treatment 80% of people who suffer cancer as a child, teenager or young adult (TYA) will survive beyond five years from diagnosis. However, these survivors are at an increased risk of developing health problems later in life when compared with the general population.
In this project Professor Mike Hawkins and his research team will analyse data collected from two national studies of survivors of cancer to thoroughly investigate the risk of developing serious health problem in the years after cancer treatment. The two studies are:
By using this data, the research team will identify groups of survivors, defined in terms of type of cancer and treatment, who are at low, medium and high risk of developing a serious illness later in life.
Such evidence will help doctors and nurses to plan clinical follow-up of cancer patients after treatment in order to minimise long-term risks . It will also empower survivors by providing them with information about their long-term risks, and provide an unrivalled national evidence-base for:
The team is led by Professor Mike Hawkins, an epidemiologist who established the Centre for Childhood Cancer Survivors Studies at the University of Birmingham. Professor Hawkins
internationally recognised as a global expert in this area of research.
In this project two further researchers will lead most of the day-to-day work. Dr Raoul Reulen will concentrate on those treated for teenage and young adult cancer. Dr Reulen is a led two landmark publications concerned with the risks of specific causes of death and the risks of specific types of new cancers in survivors.
Dr Clare Frobisher will concentrate on those treated for childhood cancer. Dr Frobisher has published over 20 research papers in scientific and clinical journals and presented her work at several International and European conferences on the late effects of childhood cancer.