Young Cancer Survivors Face Double Risk

Research from Canada — Alberta, led by Miranda Fidler-Benaoudia and published in the Canadian Medical Association, indicates that survivors of cancer in their teen and young adult years face double the risk of developing subsequent cancers. The Canada — Alberta Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivor Study, which included 24,459 people diagnosed between 1983 and 2017, found that 1 in 6 survivors will experience a new cancer within 30 years of their initial diagnosis. This increased risk is attributed to late effects of treatments like radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy, with genetic factors also playing a role. The study suggests the need for earlier cancer surveillance and innovative solutions for prevention, detection, and treatment of subsequent primary neoplasms among this growing population of survivors in Canada.