Please note this platform is currently only available in Dutch.
On the platform you will of course find information about the LATER outpatient clinic of the Princess Máxima Center, but also about health topics such as sleep and nutrition. Project leader Jaap den Hartogh: 'People who have had cancer as a child have a strong need for information. Life after the disease is sometimes accompanied by so-called late effects. Think of fatigue, heart failure or reduced fertility. The Princess Máxima Center created this website because we feel it is important to be there for this group of people even after treatment. I myself was treated for bone cancer 22 years ago and there have been several times when I looked for the information that can now be found on this platform.'
For some survivors with late effects, education and work can also be a challenge. Or getting insurance is less easy. These topics are also addressed on the platform.
The platform was launched during the first LATER Meet-up. An informal evening where survivors and their loved ones talked to healthcare professionals. Jaap: 'Especially now that we are setting up the information service for survivors, it is important to know what else the target group needs. The collaboration with groups such as the children's advisory council, the client council and VOX, the survivor group of Vereniging Kinderkanker Nederland, are also very valuable in this regard.'
About LATER
Through more research and better treatments, we can cure more and more children with cancer. But even after that, it is important to keep monitoring these survivors. After all, treatment can cause permanent damage. We call this late effects. Sometimes late effects are obvious right away, such as an amputation. But many late effects only appear (much) later. This is why we regularly invite survivors to our LATER outpatient clinic.
LATER is an important pillar in the Princess Máxima Center. We want to improve the quality of life of children with cancer not only during, but also after treatment. This is why LATER care is closely linked to the LATER research within M4C LATER. Only through intensive collaboration between healthcare professionals and researchers can we improve treatments and accelerate scientific breakthroughs.
