Lay summaries

Here you will find short summaries of the results of published studies in easy-to-understand language.
We will be posting simplified summaries on a regular basis, so that you can access as many of our scientific articles as possible.

Bone and Joint Problems of Childhood Cancer Patients

After childhood cancer, late effects such as problems with bones, joints and muscles can occur. This study wanted to find out how common such problems are and what impact they have on daily life. Lay Summary of the Study What did the study want to find out?Problems related to joint, bones, or muscles, also known […]

A Look at Health Problems after Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis during Childhood

This study investigated the health problems experienced by people who suffered from Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) in childhood. Although LCH is not a cancer, the disease and its treatment can cause health problems. Knowledge of such late effects enables swift identification and early treatment. Lay Summary of Tomáš Sláma’s Study What did we want to […]

Why we Keep an Eye on Oral Cancer in Childhood Cancer Survivors

Although childhood cancer treatments primarily target cancer cells, they can also damage healthy cells. This study therefore investigated the risk of former paediatric cancer patients to later develop oral cavity cancer. Lay Summary of the PanCareSurFup Study What did the study want to find out?This large international study with Swiss contribution investigated whether people who […]

Parental Smoking and Lung Health in Childhood Cancer Survivors

This study aimed to determine how many childhood cancer survivors are exposed to cigarette smoke at home and whether this contributes to respiratory problems. It highlights the increased vulnerability of some children to respiratory issues due to cancer treatment and suggests that targeted interventions during follow-up care could support affected families. Lay Summary of Maša […]

Overweight and obesity after childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

We investigated how often adults who survived acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) as children experience weight problems and whether these issues vary between Switzerland and North America. By understanding these challenges, doctors can provide better support, promoting healthy diets, active lifestyles, and regular exercise to reduce weight-related health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. Lay […]

Higher breast cancer risk after certain forms of childhood cancer treatment

Women who have been treated for cancer as a child with a certain type of chemotherapy have an increased risk of breast cancer, according to a large-scale international study of survivors of childhood cancer led by scientists from the Princess Máxima Center for pediatric oncology. The results were published a few days ago, on 11 […]

Chronic fatigue after childhood cancer

Lay Summary of Tomáš Sláma’s Study What did we want to achieve with our study?Cancer treatment makes you very tired. Sometimes even adults who had cancer as children still suffer from fatigue. We wanted to see how often this happens in Switzerland. We also wanted to find out if certain people are more tired.   Why […]

The body image of adolescent survivors

Lay Summary of Luzius Mader’s Study What was the aim of our study?The diagnosis of childhood cancer and the difficult treatment are a great challenge for the children affected. Children often feel the consequences years later. We wanted to find out whether the body image of adolescent survivors also changes. To do this, we asked […]

Severity of hearing loss after platinum chemotherapy in childhood cancer survivors

Lay Summary of Sven Strebel’s Study What was the aim of our study?When a child has to be treated with platinum chemotherapy due to cancer, hearing can be damaged. In our study, we wanted to find out how many childhood cancer survivors experienced hearing loss after completing platinum chemotherapy and how severe this hearing loss […]

Is my child suddenly behaving differently now?

Lay Summary of Luzius Mader’s Study What was the aim of our study?The diagnosis of childhood cancer and the intensive treatment are a great challenge for children and their families. Children often feel the consequences years later. We wanted to find out whether they also change their behavior. To do this, we asked their parents […]