Study Finds Young Adult Cancer Survivors Face Double Risk of Subsequent Cancers

A new study indicates that survivors of cancer diagnosed during adolescence and young adulthood have an elevated risk of developing subsequent cancers. The research, conducted by Canadian researchers, examined patients first diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 39. It focused on new primary cancers, excluding recurrences of the original disease.

The study, published on Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, drew from the Alberta Cancer Registry. It included 24,459 survivors diagnosed between January 1, 1983, and December 31, 2017. Among these, 1,442 developed another cancer, compared to 643 expected in a similar-sized general population cohort.

primary factor contributing to subsequent cancers is the treatment for the initial cancer, according to the study's senior author, Miranda Fidler-Benaoudia, a cancer epidemiologist at the University of Calgary and Cancer Care Alberta.

Radiation therapy, while necessary for treating the original cancer, can increase the risk of new cancers in irradiated areas. Chemotherapy and certain hormone therapies have also been linked to later cancers in research. Fidler-Benaoudia said that as cancer treatments evolve, the hope is that they will be less likely to be carcinogenic.

The increased risk of a subsequent cancer is not only due to past treatments, she said, noting that genetics can also play a role.

The study highlights the balance between achieving a cure and maintaining long-term quality of life for survivors. The most common subsequent cancers identified were breast, colorectal, and lung cancers.

suggest that provincial governments consider earlier cancer screening for survivors to detect subsequent cancers promptly.

Dr. Abha Gupta, medical director of the adolescent and young adult oncology program at University Health Network's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, emphasized the importance of such programs. She was not involved in the study.