Paediatric Cancer Epidemiology Group

Ongoing projects

Childhood Cancer Registry (ChCR)

Claudia Kuehni, Verena Pfeiffer, Käthi Flandera, Shelagh Redmond, Ersebet Kiraly,  Ben Spycher, Erika Brantschen Berclaz, Meltem Altun, Ursina Roder, Erika Minder

The Childhood Cancer Registry (ChCR) collaborates closely with the Swiss Pediatric Oncology Group (SPOG). This large national, population-based database includes detailed information on diagnosis, therapy and outcome for over 8600 children who have been diagnosed with solid tumors, leukaemia or lymphoma in Switzerland since 1976. Research projects associated with the ChCR assess incidence, causes, prognosis and late effects of childhood cancer in Switzerland.

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Swiss Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (SCCSS)

Claudia Kuehni, Grit Sommer, Fabiën Belle,  Maria Otth, Christina Schindera, Nicolas Waespe

This questionnaire survey studies long-term consequences of childhood cancer in Switzerland. It assesses somatic and psychosocial late effects, health-related quality of life, health behavior and health care in long-term survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer.

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Cardiovascular disease after childhood cancer: diagnosing early stage disease

Claudia Kuehni, Christina Schindera

This study investigates how many childhood cancer survivors in Switzerland suffer from cardiac damage. It determines how well different screening methods work to identify patients with early stage heart disease. We compare the results of patient surveys, conventional medical examination, and newer, innovative examination techniques. We want to find out how to identify the patients most at risk of cardiac damage.

The Swiss Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Metabank – a network for precision medicine research

Claudia Kuehni, Nicolas Waespe

This germline DNA collection project is led jointly with the Children's Hospitals in Zurich and Geneva to link ChCR data with data from various biobanks. It aims to expand the already extensive data in the ChCR to include genetic and tumour information.

Pulmonary dysfunction after childhood cancer: diagnosing early stage disease

Claudia Kuehni, Maria Otth

This study prospectively assess the burden and risk factors for early lung disease in childhood cancer survivors, using both standard and novel sensitive lung function measurements. It assess the validity of novel lung function tests for detection of early lung disease in CCS.

(Please note that only members of staff of ISPM Bern are listed.)

Completed projects

• Risk of cancer and long-term mortality in children treated with growth hormone: Swiss participation in the EU FP7 project (SAGhE)
  Claudia Kuehni, Grit Sommer
• Dietary habits, nutrition, and risk of late effects after childhood cancer
  Claudia Kuehni, Fabiën Belle
• Lung problems after childhood cancer: Implementation of a structured follow-up care in Switzerland
  Pulmonary late-effects in long-term childhood cancer survivors – Development of guidelines for follow-up care
  Claudia Kuehni, Grit Sommer, Rahel Kasteler, Myrofora Goutaki
• Mortality after cancer in children and adolescences
  Claudia Kuehni, Matthias Schindler
  This study focuses on survival of cancer in childhood and adolescence. We determine time trends and factors associated with childhood and adolescent cancer survival and we investigate cause specific long-term mortality in 5-year survivors of childhood cancer.
• PanCare Childhood and Adolescent Cancer Survivor Care and Follow-up Study (PanCareSurFup)
  Claudia Kuehni, Rahel Kuonen, Matthias Schindler, Erika Brantschen-Berclaz
  This European study investigates the impact of treatment regimes on the long-term health of childhood cancer survivors. It focuses on the following, severe somatic late effects: cardiovascular diseases, second malignant neoplasm and late mortality. Furthermore it will develop guidelines for long-term follow-up of childhood cancer survivors.
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• Childhood cancer and background ionizing radiation
  Ben Spycher, Claudia Kuehni, Matthias Egger, Marcel Zwahlen
• Childhood cancer and vicinity of residence to petrol stations and major roads: a census-based nationwide cohort study
  Ben Spycher, Matthias Egger, Claudia Kuehni, Adrian Spörri, Marcel Zwahlen
• Childhood Cancer and Nuclear Power Plants in Switzerland (CANUPIS)
  Claudia Kuehni, Matthias Egger
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• Childhood leukaemia and lymphoma: are incidence and survival in Switzerland associated with socioeconomic status?
  Martin Adam, Claudia Kuehni, Marcel Zwahlen
• Completeness of cancer registration and diagnostic accuracy in the Swiss Childhood Cancer Registry: validation against independent sources of data
  Martin Adam, Claudia Kuehni, Marcel Zwahlen

(Please note that only members of staff of ISPM Bern are listed.)