Obejctives

• Establish a pan-European cohort of survivors of childhood cancer for whom the occurrence of cardiac disease has been systematically ascertained and validated.
• Determine the incidence and absolute risk of cardiovascular disease among 5 years survivors in the cohort
• Undertake a nested case-control study of cardiovascular disease developing within the cohort to determine aspects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy most strongly associated with increased risk. Investigate the nature of the dose-response relationship between cumulative dose of radiation from radiotherapy, cumulative dose of specific anti-cancer drugs and the risk of cardiac disease.
• Collect and store biological material (blood or saliva) of cases and controls for future DNA studies.
• Provide reliable and unbiased evidence for:
  • counselling, educating and empowering survivors;
  • educating health care professionals;
  • reviewing and updating standardised guidelines for the clinical follow-up of survivors;
  • evaluating alternative proposals for future treatment protocols from a risk as well as benefit perspective;
  • assessing proposals for screening tests among particular groups; evaluating potential intervention studies aimed at reducing the risk of specific adverse outcomes