Are childhood cancer survivors at increased risk for new cancers later in life?
Many children with cancer survive and live long productive lives, but the late effects of cancer treatment have been a concern for many years. Results of a recent national study revealed that survivors of childhood cancer face a higher risk of getting new cancers in early adulthood, apparently related to chemotherapy and radiation treatments. The most common new cancers occurred in the breast, thyroid and brain. The highest risk for second cancers was seen in people treated for Hodgkin’s disease, and the lowest risk for second cancers was seen in survivors of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Previous studies have shown that cancer treatment may cause secondary leukemia.
