Increased Risk of Second Cancer in Childhood Cancer Survivors
Overview of Childhood Cancer in Canada
A recent study conducted in Canada indicates that individuals who have survived childhood cancer face a heightened risk of developing a second cancer. Although childhood cancer remains relatively rare, it ranks as the second leading cause of death among Canadian children, following deaths related to injuries. Each year, more than 900 children in Canada receive a cancer diagnosis. Thanks to advancements in diagnosis and treatment, approximately 83% of these children are expected to survive.
Study Methodology and Findings
The study, published in EClinicalMedicine, examined children and young adults under the age of twenty diagnosed with cancer between 1992 and 2014. Covering over twelve of Canada’s thirteen jurisdictions and over 70% of the population, researchers analyzed data from the Canadian Cancer Registry. They focused on 22,635 children to determine the incidence of second cancers.
The analysis considered various factors, including the presence of multiple cancers, sex, age at diagnosis, the time elapsed since the original diagnosis, and the type of cancer involved. The findings revealed that childhood cancer survivors are 6.5 times more likely to develop a second cancer than expected.
Occurrence Patterns and Gender Differences
For the majority of cancers, the likelihood of recurrence diminishes over time. Notably, when multiple tumors were excluded from the second cancer count, 40% of these secondary cancers occurred within the first five years following the initial diagnosis. The study also highlighted that females are at a greater risk than males for developing a second cancer, which may be attributed to higher rates of breast and thyroid cancers in this group.
Need for Further Research
The researchers concluded that additional studies are necessary to explore the underlying risk factors associated with the development of second cancers in childhood cancer survivors.
References
– Kidscancercare.ab.ca. (2020). Stats – Kids Cancer Care. Available at: https://www.kidscancercare.ab.ca/childhood-cancer/stats [Accessed 8 Jan. 2020].
– www.cancer.ca. (2020). Childhood cancer statistics – Canadian Cancer Society. Available at: https://www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-101/childhood-cancer-statistics/?region=on [Accessed 8 Jan. 2020].
– Zakaria, D., Shaw, A., and Xie, L. (2019). Risk of a second cancer in Canadians diagnosed with a first cancer in childhood or adolescence. EClinicalMedicine, 16, pp.107-120.