Cancer therapy: living with spten follow

Once-a-year schlüpft Ria Kortum, 36, in her Shirt with the colors of the rainbow. Together with other colourfully dressed cyclists she goes on Tour, to give to children in cancer hospitals of hope. You should see that you can defeat the disease. As Ria Kortum you &ndash has defeated; and the other rainbow riders of the German children’s cancer Foundation. "It is a wonderful Erfahrung", the young woman says.

At relapse, the therapy was still häwords

20 years ago, I käfought Ria Kortum itself against cancer. She was 16 years old and gotten a trip in the USA, as a high fever, your Pläne zerstörte. The Diagnosis: Lymphdrüsenkrebs. The chemotherapy was hard, but had success – to cancer two years später zurückkehrte.

"I was like gelähmt", Ria Kortum recalls. She knew: this Time, it is still härter. The only hope was a transplant of stem cells from the bone marrow. Months, the young people in clinics spent, in part, on the isolation ward, received a high-dose chemotherapy, radiotherapy.

In these tumor types, children suffer

In Germany j&auml ill;every year about 2100 persons under the age of 18 years to cancer:

• Leukämien 30.4 percent
• Brain Tumors 23.6 Percent
• Tumors of the lymphatic system is 14.3 percent
• Tumors of the soft tissue 5.9 percent
• Tumors of the peripheral nerves 5.7 percent
• Bone Tumors, 5.2%
• Kidney Tumors 4.7 Percent
• Germ Cell Tumors 4.1 Percent
• Other Diagnoses To 6.1 Percent

Source: annual report of 2016, the German children’s cancer registry

Baby desire seemed unerfüllbar

Ria Kortum was healed. As most of the früh in the life of a Tumor developing. The treatment of cancer in childhood and adolescence is a success story. Even at the beginning of the 1960s, four died of fünf of the affected children. Today ü82% survival in Germany for at least 15 years, Leukämien much as 90 percent.
But the healing has a price, even in the case of Ria Kortum. To get a Baby – the desire seemed to unerfüllbar. "I had mirror a hormone such as a 60-Jäover the years and it." Also, their risk to fall ill again from cancer or heart, is erhöht. "On the whole it’s me but gut", the PhD Heilp&auml says;dagogin. From her work at the children’s cancer Foundation weiß you, however, that not all of the früh Ill so. According to studies, approximately two-thirds suffer from Spätfolgen.

Schäthe often come spät to light

Many Schäthe showed, as the young cancer patients älter. "In the research these are now a großit Thema", Dr. Desiree Grabow reported by the German children’s cancer registry. Already früh was known, that a cancer therapy, in turn, to cancer fülead can. "Within 30 years, seven percent of the patients treated at a Zweittumor&quot ill just;, so Grabow.

How to today weiß, the list is möacute consequences but clearly läViking. Häcommonly, it comes to See – and Hörproblemen, Schäthe kidneys and nerves, for growth and Hormonstöand heart disease, the decades occur until after the therapy. Affected reports, in addition to dental problems. Also, the bone is brüguages or even die from.

Köthe body and Psyche being attacked

A total of Krebs&uuml have;berlebende in my mid-30 about twice as many chronic illnesses as people who do not have tumor therapy. This is the result of a study of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis (USA).

However, not only the Köbody suffers. "In früh ill children of cancer in the Pubert&auml is;t almost always again a Thema", Petra Waibel, Director of Kona, the &quot reported;Coordination centre for psycho-social Nachsorge". Since 2003, unterstüthe project is supported in MüMunich families with children with cancer. A Hürde für many früh the choice of profession is Ill, for example. How to hold a challenging Job, if the joints pain or the concentration of schwäsmiles? "Now I’m so hard gekäwanting to fight back against cancer – für?" Such words hört Waibel ömore often. In the framework of the project "Youth and Zukunft" Kona Krebs&uuml helps;provider to make your way in the Selbststäto find resistance – despite Älongest and Einschrärestrictions.

"However, we should not forget that many of the children, without prejudice to the therapies gehen", stresses Sozialpädagogin Waibel. Also später füyou feel healthy, have family, a erfüreserved for professional. Some even report that they gestärkt came out of the disease. Experts call such a development of post-traumatic growth.

Abrüstung at the Therapiemaßtook

What is the risk für Spätschäthe is concerned, there are also first signs of success. "Initially, it was the pure Überleben", erklärt Grabow. To achieve this goal, you went heavy Geschütze on. As soon as it became clear that the price is often high, asked the physician immediately: what is the ammunition it is possible to refuse safely, and with whom?

Within a few decades, the Aggressivit&auml managed;to reduce t the therapies significantly – and, therefore, the risk für treatment-related diseases. The new long-term data from the United States. The diagnosis was made in the 1970s, was the risk für heavy Spätfolgen at 12.7 percent. 20 years später had decreased the probability by about a third.

Less invasive new procedures

"Especially in the case of the irradiation it is today zurückhaltender", erklärt Dr. Gabriele Calaminus, a cancer expert at the children’s hospital of Universität Bonn. Modern methods such as proton therapy ermöadjusted to concentrate the radiation in the Tumor and to spare healthy tissue. New treatments such as immune therapy to attack the cancer more effectively. Also the profile of many diseases lässt determine today individually. This helps to identify whether a gentler therapy is sufficient or needs to be intense.
And the research goes on. To &uuml Know;ber mödaily Spätfolgen to collect, experts in Europe in the network Pancare. Also in Germany, many studies to help, the risks f&uuml run;r Krebsüto recognize berlebende and reduce.

In the future, maßtailored dose of radiation

For example, in the case of radiation therapy. In the research group Isibela about the relationship between radiation dose and the second tumor is detected accurately. The patient is taken in addition, a skin sample in the laboratory of radiation exposed to. "So, whether there are persons in whom the Schäthe better k&ouml be repaired;nnen", erklärt Professor Maria Blettner, Director of the University of Mainz research Alliance. In the future, you want to recognize prior to treatment, which Patient is particularly sensitive to radiation.

Für the patient, now with Spätschäthe life müshit, the findings, of course, to spät. The Problem starts für they already in the search for the right doctor. None füzust&auml feels;fully. Experts are working to improve the follow-up. "About every füfifth Überlebende has a erhöelevated Beratungsbedarf", Calaminus said.

ID für Überlebende

The goal is a network of clinics, which specialized in office hours für young Krebsüberlebende are offered. An important aid wäre, according to experts, a "Survivor Passport". This enthält information üabout diagnosis, therapies, and any side effects.

A certain price will have the cure but still. But even if Spätfolgen some Üprovider’s catch up sometime: most of them are grateful für the given years. As Ria Kortum. "I fühle me fit." Just the thought of getting no children of their own, was für you hard. "Tests showed that there is no Chance gibt", erzäyou hlt. But then she was plöaddition pregnant. Before füfive years came their twins, a Boy and a Mägirl. A small miracle – so call it self-the Ädoctors.