Endocrine late effects in paediatric cancer survivors

Abstract

Improved survival following childhood malignancy has led to increased recognition of a multitude of late adverse effects in long term survivors, which affect their quality of life. Endocrine complications are among the commonest late effects seen and include dysfunction of the hypothalamo pituitary axis leading to impaired growth, abnormal puberty or hypopituitarism, gonadal dysfunction and infertility, thyroid gland dysfunction and neoplasms, obesity, impaired glucose homeostasis and abnormal bone development. Long term follow up is needed for early recognition and timely intervention to minimise the effects of these complications.