Phone
The percentages of children surviving childhood cancer are increasing; however, this also means that the number of survivors is rising. Unfortunately, many of these survivors continue to experience the consequences of intensive treatments even years after their recovery. Previous studies suggest that some survivors may undergo an accelerated aging process.
Physical activity and maintaining a healthy lifestyle could counteract this accelerated process and help reduce the late effects of childhood cancer, which in turn may lead to a higher quality of life after childhood cancer. As a former elite athlete, I have personally experienced the positive power of physical activity—both physically and mentally—and I am therefore highly motivated to bring my passion for health and movement into the hospital setting.
Specifically, my research will focus on mapping the current physical activity behavior of childhood cancer survivors and investigating whether we can be more specific in what physical activity recommendations can lead to less adverse health effects and an improved quality of life.
Supervisors: Dr. Saskia Pluijm & Prof. Dr. Leontien Kremer