Many people have problems maintaining their weight after surviving childhood cancer. This is often because the regulation of satiety and the control of their energy reserves no longer function properly as a result of their cancer therapy or tumour. In this episode, PD Dr Christian Denzer, paediatric endocrinologist at Ulm University Hospital, and Prof. Dr Sebastian Meyhöfer, internal medicine endocrinologist at the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein in Lübeck, explain the exact background and how best to treat such cases.

Being overweight can be a consequence of many cancers. However, in addition to medical aftercare, there are many ways in which you can positively influence your weight yourself - e.g. a healthy diet and exercise in everyday life. In this second episode on "Overweight and obesity after surviving childhood cancer", PD Dr Christian Denzer and Prof Dr Sebastian Meyhöfer explain how even small changes in everyday life can have a big impact in the long term.

After cancer treatment in childhood and adolescence, hormones can become unbalanced - especially in patients who have had radiotherapy to the head. If the production of growth hormones is disrupted, growth disorders can occur as a late consequence of cancer treatment. The experts, Prof. Gerhard Binder, paediatric endocrinologist at the University Hospital Tübingen, and Dr Judith Gebauer, endocrinologist at the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein in Lübeck, explain why it is important to keep an eye on growth hormones even years after cancer treatment and what treatment options are available.

Long-term aftercare for paediatric cancer is a particular challenge. When children grow up and their treatment becomes part of general medical care,
a lot also changes in terms of aftercare. Eva-Maria Hümmer, MD, a doctor at the University Hospital Erlangen and herself a paediatric cancer patient, shares her personal experiences here and discusses with Prof. Thorsten Langer, MD, paediatric oncologist, and Judith Gebauer, MD, endocrinologist, both from the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein in Lübeck, what to look out for in long-term aftercare.

Thanks to successful therapies, many children with cancer can now be cured. In order to monitor the late effects of the disease and its treatment, it is important that patients also receive intensive follow-up care in adulthood. For this to succeed, the individual patient's medical history must always be taken into account. In the second episode on long-term aftercare, Prof Thorsten Langer, MD, Judith Gebauer, MD, and Eva-Maria Hümmer, MD, discuss important aspects and contact persons.

Checking the thyroid gland is an important part of follow-up examinations for paediatric and adolescent cancers, especially after radiotherapy or targeted therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The examinations then focus on thyroid hormones as well as ultrasound checks. Using patient cases as examples, thyroid experts Prof Markus Luster, MD, nuclear medicine specialist at Marburg University Hospital, and Prof Heiko Krude, MD, paediatric endocrinologist at Charité in Berlin, will discuss how thyroid disorders are treated.

Hormones fulfil important tasks in our bodies, especially during puberty. In boys, hormone problems can occur as a late consequence of surviving paediatric cancer, which can affect their growth. But even years after treatment, adult men who wish to have children can face challenges. In this episode, paediatric endocrinologist Dr Ulrich Paetow and andrologist Prof. Dr Falk Ochsendorf, MME, both from Frankfurt University Hospital, explore the question of how affected boys and men can be helped.

The hormone cortisol is produced in the adrenal gland and helps to deal with stress and control metabolic processes. If a cortisol deficiency is not recognised, it can lead to life-threatening situations. It is therefore particularly important to raise awareness of the symptoms of cortisol deficiency. In this episode, Prof. Tilman Rohrer, paediatric endocrinologist at Saarland University Hospital in Homburg, and PD Dr Nicole Unger, endocrinologist in adult medicine at Essen University Hospital, talk about how cortisol deficiency and adrenal insufficiency manifest themselves after childhood cancer and how those affected can best deal with them.

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy can limit the fertility of young women after cancer. This is because these therapies not only fight the cancer cells, but can also reduce the supply of eggs. Fertility counselling before and after treatment is therefore an important part of therapy. In this interview, Dr Maren Goeckenjan, gynaecologist at Dresden University Hospital, and Prof. Dr Anja Borgmann-Staudt, specialist in paediatrics and adolescent medicine at Charité in Berlin, explain what fertility-preserving measures are available for young patients and why it is so important to talk about this at an early stage.