Quality of life in children and adolescents with cancer

In 2010, one out of 250 young adults will have survived childhood cancer. This reflects the high cure rates, but shows the requirement for carefully following-up and evaluating the reintegration of this group into society. Quality of life (QoL) assessment allows to determine how children with cancer feel as well as how they cope with the disease and its possible acute and late effects. Since the 1990s, there has been a growing interest in evaluating QoL in clinical studies. The main focus involves children who have survived a childhood cancer regardless of type. Most of the survivors are in a good health, with a balanced psychosocial status, normal social life and an adequate capacity to cope with daily activities. Studies have shown that cognitive deficits in brain tumor survivors and anxiety of developing a recurrence, especially after megatherapy, are amongst the most common problems. In this group, pain is a lasting problem. Longitudinal studies to determine the development of QoL during and after treatment, and to define risk factors that can lead to integration of intervention strategies and which may have a possible impact on treatment planning, are required.