Hodgkin lymphoma is a highly curable malignancy that occurs at young ages (most frequently at age 20-40 years). However, cured lymphoma survivors are at substantially increased risk of serious late complications of radio- and/ or chemotherapy treatment. Common late effects include cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, thyroid dysfunction and infections.
BETER outpatient clinics were established in 2013 in several hospitals in the Netherlands, with the aim to reduce morbidity and mortality from late effects in lymphoma survivors. We use the assigned grant to examine whether survivorship care at the BETER clinics is effective in reducing morbidity and mortality from late effects of Hodgkin lymphoma treatment and associated costs. Additionally, this project will assess whether BETER care influences quality of life, knowledge about late adverse effects and possible distress about late effects in Hodgkin lymphoma survivors. We will also explore reasons why some Hodgkin lymphoma survivors do not visit BETER-outpatient clinics. We will use the acquired knowledge to improve survivorship care after Hodgkin lymphoma treatment in the Netherlands.