Beating cancer as a child doesn’t necessarily mean the disease is
gone for good. In fact, a recently released study is shedding light on the
potential need for young
cancer survivors to undergo a lifetime of screenings to help detect other
cancers that may form in later life. The study found that young survivors are
at an increased risk for future cancer development; not necessarily related to
a relapse of the original cancer.
The study involved analysis of U.S. National Cancer Institute data
related to patients who had survived cancer before the age of 40. Over the
course of 30 years, almost 14 percent of survivors developed a second form of
cancer. The typical presentation of the second cancer was in the first 15 years
after the initial battle. All told, researchers found that young cancer
survivors – those treated between the ages of 15 and 39 – were about 60 percent
more likely to develop cancer than the general population. People who were
treated for cancer after the age of 40 were only about 10 percent more likely
to develop another form of the disease.
Researchers also found some cancers were more typical than others to
develop as second cancer. They included genital, breast
and gastrointestinal cancers. Patients who received radiation therapy during
their original cancer treatment were also more likely to develop a second
cancer. The figures were 17 percent compared to 12 percent. Out of the total
group of 7,384 patients studied who developed a second cancer about 1,195 also
developed a third.
The bottom line for young cancer patients is the need to continue
with follow-up appointments on a lifelong basis, researchers say. The special
health care needs do not necessarily go away with a successful battle of the
first disease. Monitoring for secondary forms of the disease should be a
priority going forward.
People who are concerned about cancer are urged to speak with their
healthcare providers. Personal physicians are best positioned to help assess
risks.
