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Acting upon threat: Electrocortical, autonomic, and oculomotor responses in anticipation of avoidable and inevitable threats.

Authors: Teigeler J, Stegmann Y, Gamer M
Journal: Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)
mental health psychology open access

Abstract

Most adult childhood cancer survivors (ACCS) experience late effects resulting from their oncological disease and its treatment (), making specialized long-term follow-up (LTFU) care crucial. While survival rates have improved, they often come at a high cost, as late effects manifest in various and sometimes severe forms. Late effects may affect several organ systems, particularly the cardiovascular and endocrine systems, and can also include psychosocial difficulties such as anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (; ; ). To identify late effects of childhood cancer and provide necessary support, LTFU care for childhood cancer survivors is essential. Individualized LTFU aims not only to reduce mortality and morbidity through early detection of late effects and optimized management of chronic toxicities (), but also to enhance quality of life (). Different guidelines outline the core components of LTFU care (), with the most comprehensive being the Children's Oncology Group LTFU (COG-LTFU) guidelines (Children's Oncology Group, 2023). The individualized follow-up plan is documented in a survivorship passport, such as the ® (PfC; ). To improve the health of ACCS and reduce the long-term late effects of cancer and its treatment, it is essential to ensure ACCS' continued participation in LTFU care. Sustained participation may be supported by fostering patient satisfaction, addressing worries, and offering individualized care. Previous studies indicated that factors such as the number of topics discussed during consultations, access to psychosocial support, shorter waiting times, and longer consultations were positively associated with patient satisfaction (; ). Importantly, examining these associations across different national and healthcare contexts allows for the identification of both common and context-specific determinants of satisfaction. Since satisfaction may influence adherence to LTFU care, systematically gathering patient feedback is essential to evaluate whether care is meeting ACCS' needs. These insights help tailor LTFU care to diverse survivor needs and identify those at risk of low satisfaction or greater worries.