The Epidemic Failure Cycle hypothesis: Towards understanding the global community's recent failures in responding to an epidemic.

Background: Within a few years, the global community has failed twice in responding to large viral infection outbreaks: the Ebola epidemic in 2014 and the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic in 2020. There is, however, no systematic approach or research available that analyses the repeated failures with regard to an adequate response to an epidemic.

Methods: For a better understanding of failing societal responses, we have analysed the available research literature on societal responses to epidemics and we propose a framework called the 'Epidemic Failure Cycle' (EFC).

Pulmonary Dysfunction after Treatment for Childhood Cancer. Comparing Multiple-Breath Washout with Spirometry.

Childhood cancer survivors are at risk of long-term pulmonary dysfunction, but we lack sensitive outcome measures to detect early pulmonary damage. To assess the ability of nitrogen multiple-breath washout (NMBW) for detecting pulmonary dysfunction compared with spirometry in long-term survivors of childhood cancer. We analyzed cross-sectional data from long-term (≥5-yr) survivors of childhood cancer, aged ≤16 years at cancer diagnosis, ≥16 years at study (assessment period 2015-2019).

A partially supervised physical activity program for adult and adolescent survivors of childhood cancer (SURfit): study design of a randomized controlled trial [NCT02730767].

Background: Beyond survival of nowadays >80%, modern childhood cancer treatment strives to preserve long-term health and quality of life. However, the majority of today's survivors suffer from short- and long-term adverse effects such as cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, obesity, osteoporosis, fatigue, depression, and reduced physical fitness and quality of life. Regular exercise can play a major role to mitigate or prevent such late-effects.