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Study: Childhood cancer survivors at increased risk of early death

Category: Cancer Detection and Tumor Markers

According to a new study published in the April 6 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, survivors of childhood cancers are at a significantly increased risk of early death.

For the study, the research team developed a computer model to estimate the risk of early death in 15-year-old patients who had survived for at least five years after being diagnosed with the disease. They found that childhood cancer survivors shorten their lifespan by an average of 10 years due to the cumulative effects of the disease and the associated treatment, according to Health Day News.

However, lead author Patricia Ganz and her colleagues also discovered that life expectancy averages varied depending upon the type of cancer. While kidney cancer patients were more likely to die soon after beating the disease, those afflicted with brain or bone cancers were projected to pass away later in life.

The investigators speculated that the toxicity of long-term cancer treatment was the most influential factor contributing to the early death of cancer patients. They added that personal care physicians should take past cancer treatment into consideration when analyzing a patient.