Late consequences are defined as intermediate, persistent and late effects of cancer treatment that cause physical and psychosocial morbidity which may result in reduced quality of life. They include second cancers, cardiovascular disease, bone and muscoskeletal disorders, gastrointestinal and bladder dysfunction and endocrine dyscrasias.  The true impact of late consequences are not known as they are not clearly defined in clinical trials, which typically treat a highly selected population.

Research on late consequences may start prior to start of therapy with; biomarkers and defining risk, epidemiology of late effects, stratifying patients at risk to therapies with less late consequences, basic science of symptoms, mitigating side-effects with novel interventions, as well as influencing late toxicity recording, management and safety profiling.

Late consequences of cancer treatment overlaps with the concept of survivorship.

Objectives:

  1. Raise awareness of ongoing research into late consequences and grow the number of studies registered on the NCRI portfolio.
  2. Design and secure funding for multidisciplinary studies on late consequences within mechanistic, translation, health services and research for patient benefit grants. Aim to submit one collaborative grant per year and support 1 smaller pilot or feasibility project proposal.
  3. Improve networking and multidisciplinary collaboration in late consequences research. The late consequences group will map NCRI studies and portfolio for developing a database and network of research teams working in LWBC late consequences. We aim to build a map of translational and basic science skills sites for developing networking and collaboration in late consequences research.
  4. Expand outcome reporting and harmonisation for future cross study comparisons.
  5. Collaborate with other research groups both in the UK and abroad (MASCC, ESTRO, ESMO, WCRF)
  6. Seek new sources of funding for late consequences in priority areas.
  7. Advise and support other researchers in the NCRI and in clinical academic groups to design their own studies.