Second Cancers Health Article

Prevention

Researchers are:

• investigating the process that transforms cancer treatments into sources of new tumors
• studying ways to maintain or improve survival rates while treating patients with gentler types of chemotherapy or doses of radiation too low to inflict the cell damage that causes second cancers
• confident that further research into causes of second cancers will enable them to develop strategies to prevent the development of new malignancies

Even though only a small percentage of cancer survivors develop second malignancies, everyone who has had cancer must:

• follow a healthy lifestyle
• avoid known causes of cancer, like smoking or prolonged exposure to the sun
• diligently follow their doctor's recommendations regarding cancer screenings and other forms of medical surveillance
• see a doctor as soon as they develop new symptoms or notice any changes in the way they look or feel

Special concerns

Improved long-term cancer survival rates have increased concern about the physical and psychological effects of the disease and the treatments used to cure it.

Doctors must monitor cancer patients carefully to make sure radiation and chemotherapy dosages low enough to eliminate unwanted side effects are strong enough to eradicate all a patient's cancer cells.

A patient who has had cancer should be aware of the risk of developing a second cancer. However, patients should not refuse or discontinue treatment for fear of developing a second malignancy. The benefits of cancer treatment far outweigh the risk of developing a new cancer.

Resources

ORGANIZATIONS

Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute. 6130 Executive Blvd., Executive Plaza North, Rockeville, MD 20852. (301) 594-6776. <http://dccps.nci.nih.gov/ocs>.

National Childhood Cancer Foundation. 440 E. Huntington Dr., PO Box 60012, Arcadia, CA 91066-6012. (800) 458-NCCF. <http://www.nccf.org/NCCF/Advocacy/program.asp>.

OTHER

Key cancer statistics. National Cancer Institute. <http://search.nci.nih.gov/search97cgi/s97_cgi>.29 April 2001

Long-term follow-up study. University of Minnesota. 10 April 2001. <http://www.cancer.umn.edu/ltfu>.27 April 2001.

Platz, Elizabeth A., et al. Second cancers. Cancer medicine. <http://www.cancernetwork.com/canmed/ch188/188-0.htm>.

Maureen Haggerty

Late effect

—A consequence of illness or therapy that becomes evident only after long-term patient monitoring.

Neoplasm

—A new, abnormal growth of tissue. A neoplasm may be benign or malignant.

Solid tumor

—A cancer that originates in an organ or tissue rather than in bone marrow or the lymph system.

QUESTIONS TO ASK THE DOCTOR

• Am I likely to develop a second cancer?
• How can I reduce my risk of developing a second cancer?
• What symptoms might mean that I have developed a new cancer?
• What should I do if any of these symptoms occur?