Lifestyle teaching helps survivors stay more healthy lives – Prinses Máxima Centrum

Late results 

Thanks to improved therapies, extra youngsters now survive most cancers. But three in 4 survivors develop well being issues later in life, akin to coronary heart illness, weight problems or fatigue. A wholesome way of life can assist forestall or cut back these so-called late results. Yet adopting and sustaining a wholesome way of life independently will be difficult, particularly given the bodily and psychological affect of previous most cancers therapies. 

Personal targets 

To assist this group, the Princess Máxima Center for pediatric oncology and RadboudUMC developed an internet way of life intervention as a part of the European PanCareFollowUp challenge. Participants aged 16 to 50 who had childhood most cancers obtained 4 months of teaching by way of video calls with a life-style coach. Together, they labored on a private way of life aim akin to consuming more healthy, exercising extra, or dropping pounds. This was adopted by 4 months of distant follow-up assist. 

‘We found that 76% of participants had achieved or maintained their goals after eight months,’ says PhD candidate Selina van den Oever. ‘In addition, we saw improvements in BMI, diet quality and the number of hours of physical activity per week. That’s a promising consequence for this group.’ 

Start younger 

Although the research centered on younger adults and adults, the outcomes underline the significance of way of life steerage from an early age. ‘A child who learns how to influence their own health grows up more confident and resilient, even after cancer,’ says challenge lead Saskia Pluijm. ‘With a personalized approach, you can positively influence behavior and potentially prevent future health problems.’ 

Integration into care 

The researchers advocate for broader integration of way of life data and training into survivorship care and the LATER clinic. Selina: ‘The personal approach really makes people feel heard. We hope to further test this method in a larger, controlled study – and ultimately embed it in standard care for childhood cancer survivors.’ 

The PanCareFollowUp challenge was made doable with assist from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 analysis and innovation program (grant no. 824982). The full publication is accessible in Cancer Medicine. This way of life intervention, a part of the PCFU challenge, is a crucial first step in sustainably integrating way of life consultations, data and assist into long-term survivorship care.