Projects we fund

Overview

Thanks to research, more than 80% of people diagnosed with cancer before the age of 20 will survive five years or more. However these children and teenagers are likely to develop health problems later in life. In particular, they have a chance of developing a second cancer. Sadly, these second cancers are a leading cause of death among this group. We need to find ways to stop young cancer survivors from developing second cancers. To help do this, Dr Eva Steliarova-Foucher and her team will analyse information about cancer which is routinely collected from across Europe. From this information, the team will be able to estimate, for the first time, the number of childhood cancer survivors living in 40 European countries. Next, Dr Steliarova-Foucher will use this and other data to look at what factors might increase someone’s chances of developing a second cancer. For example, she will investigate how the person’s sex or age, or the type of cancer they originally developed changes the risk of developing another cancer. From this, she’ll be able to estimate, for any childhood cancer survivor across Europe, what the chances are of them developing a second cancer of similar or different type. Using data collected from across the world, Dr Steliarova-Foucher will also lead the study of impact of certain cancer treatments, or underlying health conditions on someone’s chances of developing a second cancer.

Potential impact

Dr Steliarova-Foucher’s research will provide crucial information about the health risks faced by people who survived cancer in childhood or adolescence. This will help countries to plan health care for childhood cancer survivors more effectively, and tailor follow-up appointments and cancer screening for each patient. It could also reveal new links between the cancer treatments children receive and the risks to their future health. Ultimately, Dr Steliarova-Foucher’s work will help children and young people who have already survived cancer by preventing them from developing cancer again.