Once cancer treatment has finished, your child or young person will keep going to clinics. These will be at one of the following:
2 to 5 years after cancer treatment has finished, your child or young person will transfer into long-term follow-up care. This is often called the Late Effects Assessment Programme (LEAP). This clinic has more focus on long-term problems that may be the result of the disease or treatment. These problems are often called 'late effects'.
Long-term follow-up is different for everyone who has had cancer, or an illness that needed cancer-like treatment. It will depend on the type of cancer/illness and the treatment your child had. By going to clinic, the healthcare team can check for any late effects that your child may be at risk of developing. The healthcare team can either prevent or manage any problems that do occur.
It is important to remember that many young people do not develop any long-term problems.
There are 2 types of long-term follow-up clinics. Both provide the same key follow-up care:
Read more about long-term follow-up in childhood cancer [1]
Your child will see the LEAP team in the following regions:
The LEAP team may include a paediatric oncologist, a nurse specialist and a clinical psychologist who is available if your child needs psychosocial support at any stage.
Your child will have long-term follow-up at your local shared care clinic, alternating between a visiting oncologist and your local paediatrician. Psychosocial support is also available if your child needs it.
When your child is in long-term follow-up, you will receive a copy of their treatment summary. This is sometimes called a 'health passport'. It has all the important details of your child's treatment. This is helpful for any health professional your child might see in the future.
This is different for everyone and often depends on:
Most young people will no longer need to go to a LEAP clinic once they are adults - somewhere between 18 and 21 years of age. Their family doctor and adult health care specialists will continue to see them if necessary.
LEAP@adhb.govt.nz [2]
LEAP Coordinator, Long-Term Follow-up Programme
Starship Blood and Cancer Centre
Starship Children's Health
Private Bag 92024
Auckland 1142
LEAP@ccdhb.org.nz [3]
LEAP Coordinator, Late Effects
Paediatric Oncology
Capital and Coast District
Health Board
Private Bag 7902
Riddiford Street, Newtown
Wellington 6021
LEAP@cdhb.health.nz [4]
LEAP Coordinator
Children's Oncology Late Effects
Dept. of Paediatrics
Christchurch Hospital
Private Bag 4710
Christchurch
All the pages in the childhood cancer section of this website [5] have been written by health professionals who work in the field of paediatric oncology. They have been reviewed by the members of the National Child Cancer Network (NZ). Medical information is authorised by the clinical leader of the National Child Cancer Network.
This page last reviewed 24 June 2021.
Email us [11] your feedback
Links
[1] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/tags/long-term-follow-childhood-cancer
[2] mailto:LEAP@adhb.govt.nz
[3] mailto:LEAP@ccdhb.org.nz
[4] mailto:LEAP@cdhb.health.nz
[5] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/tags/childhood-cancer
[6] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/node/2364?language=rar
[7] https://www.cclg.org.uk/Publications
[8] https://www.cclg.org.uk/Publications/After-treatment-finishes/Aftercure-A-guide-for-teenage-and-young-adult-survivors-of-childhood-cancer/AFTERCUR
[9] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/node/2363?language=rar
[10] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/node/2374?language=rar
[11] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/contact?from=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kidshealth.org.nz%2Fprint%2F501%3Flanguage%3Drar