Dentofacial side-effects in childhood cancer survivors: the SMILE consortium
Aznar M., Pan S., Brennan B., Charlwood F., Davey A., Davies L., Eccles C., Forman R., Foster-Thomas E., Gaze MN., Gillies C., Indelicato DJ., Janssens G., Kelly S., Krasin M., Krommenhoek KB., Mandeville H., Melichar T., Sitch P., Slater O., Smith E., Suttie M., Tang V., van Herk M., Osorio EV., Whitfield G., Hol M.
Dentofacial deformation is a common late adverse effect following radiotherapy for childhood head-and-neck tumours, yet current knowledge of dose-response relationships for developing facial bones and dental structures remains extremely limited. Age-adapted dose constraints and standardised clinical practices are lacking, complicating treatment optimisation and patient counselling. To address these critical gaps, we have established the SMILE consortium, a multi-disciplinary international collaboration of clinicians, scientists, and childhood cancer survivors. SMILE aims to establish structure-specific dose constraints, develop consensus guidelines including contouring atlases, and standardise follow-up protocols to minimise life-altering facial deformations and dental side-effects in future patients whilst better informing families.