Pediatric survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma may have increased risk of developing second cancer
February 26, 2019
Individuals who survive pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma may be at higher risk of developing cancer later in life, according to research conducted at the University of Alabama, published in Cancer (American Cancer Society’s international peer-reviewed journal). In a statement by Smita Bhatia, M.D, and lead author of the publication, she claimed “although prior studies have presented this risk, none have done so 25 years after diagnosis.
This research set out to follow up with over 1,000 patients who were previously diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma as children. After surveying this pool of individuals, they found that survivors were nearly 14 times more likely to develop a second occurrence of a distinct cancer such as breast, lung or thyroid. Bhatia later elaborated on these findings, stressing the importance of physician awareness of this risk and who it may affect.
Certain high-risk populations were also recognized within this study. One group included girls with Hodgkin Lymphoma who were between 10 and 17 years old while receiving chest radiation treatment. In this particular group, the incidence of breast cancer was approximately 45.3%.
Leave a Comment