Who can enter
- Children with a new oncological diagnosis
- Age: 6-18 years old
Goal
With this study we want to test whether it is beneficial to ‘follow’ the cognition and behavior of children with a new oncological diagnosis from early on after diagnosis, to better predict which children might develop cognitive or behavioral complaints as a consequence of their illness and/or treatment.
Background
Children experiencing cancer or who have (had) a (benign) tumor may develop cognitive problems as a consequence of their illness, treatment and everything around it. These are problems with, for example, memory, concentration or speed of thought. Currently, in most types of cancer, such problems are only investigated if there is a clear reason to do so. As a result, cognitive or behavioral problems might not be noticed until they are already more advanced.
By checking up on cognition and behavior every six months from early after diagnosis, we can see whether performances of individual children change over time or stay about the same. We think that within this pattern of changes, there might be information to help us predict which children will develop cognitive or behavioral problems in the longer term. If we can identify these problems early on, we will be able to provide support sooner in the future.