The National Children’s Cancer Society
The National Children’s Cancer Society Offers New Online Tool to Help Survivors Assess the Late Effects of Treatment
The National Children’s Cancer Society (NCCS) has launched a new online tool to help childhood cancer survivors assess their risk of “late effects”; – medical, cognitive and emotional problems that may be a result of their cancer treatment and diagnosis.
The Late Effects After Treatment Tool (LEATT), available on the NCCS website, is user friendly, easy to complete and can be accessed on a tablet or mobile phone as well as a personal computer. Users can save their report if they choose, and have the option to email it to any desired recipient.
“The new tool provides survivors, family members and professionals a way to create a customized assessment to determine their risk of late effects based on their diagnosis and treatment,” said Pam Gabris, Beyond the Cure coordinator for the NCCS.
Additionally, pediatric cancer survivors can request that the NCCS notify them of any new information that has been added to the LEATT. This feature allows survivors to stay current on the latest news about survivorship and late effects.
More than two-thirds of young adult survivors of childhood cancer eventually experience at least one late effect, according to the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. Late effects can occur in any organ or system of the body and vary from person to person. Issues can range from mild to life threatening and are influenced by a number of factors, including original diagnosis, age at diagnosis, treatment drugs, surgeries, gender, family history and more.
LEATT users receive a report that includes detailed recommendations for addressing the various late effects they are experiencing such as chronic pain, decreased heart function, early menopause and hearing loss, among many others. Users do not have to know specifics of their cancer treatment medications in order to use the tool.
“Users should remember that the tool is for information purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice,” said Gabris. “It’s an excellent step in taking care of their health and is something they can share with their doctors as they make healthy choices for their future.”
About the NCCS
The mission of The National Children’s Cancer Society is to provide emotional, financial and educational support to children with cancer, their families and survivors. To learn more about the NCCS and its support services, visit thenccs.org. To use the Late Effects After Treatment Tool (LEATT), visit http://leatt.thenccs.org. The National Children’s Cancer Society is a 501C(3) organization that has provided more than $61 million in direct financial assistance to more than 36,000 children with cancer. To contact the NCCS, call (314) 241-1600. You can also visit the NCCS on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thenccs.