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Survivors of childhood cancers are at an increased risk of another battle with cancer later inlife, according to new research published onlin by the Annals of Internal Medicine . In the largest study to date of risk for gastrointestinal (GI)cancers among people first diagnosed with cancer before the age of21, researchers found that childhood cancer survivors develop thesemalignancies at a rate nearly five times that of the generalpopulation. While there was some preliminary evidence that childhood cancersurvivors develop GI cancers more often and at an earlier age thanthe general population, this is the first study focused on a rangeof pediatric cancers with examination of detailed treatmentinformation including chemotherapy and radiation exposures. Researchers led by Tara Henderson, MD, MPH, assistant professor ofpediatrics and director of the Childhood Cancer Survivors Center atthe University of Chicago Medicine, examined 14,358 survivors ofHodgkin lymphoma , non-Hodgkin lymphoma, neuroblastoma, soft tissue sarcoma , Wilms tumor or bone cancer. They found that survivors were developingsecondary GI cancers as soon as five and a half years after aprimary cancer diagnosis. "Due to advancements in therapies, we now have a burgeoningpopulation of childhood cancer survivors," Henderson said."Sufferers of once nearly unequivocal deadly diseases are thrivingwell into adulthood. Unfortunately, it appears that for some theimpact of cancer therapy along with, in some cases, inherentgenetic propensity may set the stage for a second cancer diagnosis.It's an important finding that will hopefully allow us to identifyat-risk patients and implement better surveillance in clinicalpractice." The mean age of study participants at their initial cancerdiagnosis was 13.9 years, with a mean age of 33.5 at diagnosis of asecondary GI cancer. Henderson points out that these survivors arestill relatively young, and considering the median age of 70 for colorectal cancers in the general population, it's likely that researchers are seeingonly the tip of the iceberg. She anticipates the cumulativeincidence of secondary gastrointestinal cancers will continue toincrease as this population ages. The results from the study fell in line with earlier findingssuggesting that radiation exposure is a substantial risk factor forsecond cancers in cancer survivors. Those exposed to abdominalradiation were at the greatest risk - 11.2 times that of thegeneral population. Yet, even study participants who did notreceive radiation treatment for their primary cancer were also atincreased risk. In addition, the study points to increased riskassociated with exposure to high doses of procarbazine andcisplatin chemotherapies. Study authors agree that because curing the primary childhoodcancer remains a priority, they do not advocate modifying thecurrent treatment protocols to decrease the long-term risk forgastrointestinal cancers. "However," Henderson added, "pediatriconcologists continually strive to reduce or eliminate late toxicitywithout affecting the probability of cure. Therefore, the necessityof therapies such as radiation is under constant scrutiny." Henderson and her colleagues are calling for screening of childhoodcancer survivors for GI cancer earlier than current generalguidelines, particularly among those with increased risk factors.They recommend this population be screened every five years,beginning 10 years after radiation treatment, or at age 35,whichever is later. One clear-cut example of the possible impactwould be stronger survival rates with early detection of colorectalcancer where the current recommendation is to begin screening atage 50. "We can't yet predict which patients will face a subsequent cancer,but we can and should devise screening guidelines that take all therisk factors into account," said Henderson. "Waiting until thesepatients are 50 is simply not enough." Additional References Citations. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Tungsten Carbide insert Manufacturer , Core Drill Rig Manufacturer, and more. For more , please visit Diamond Drilling Tools today!
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