Rate of secondary cancers increases after childhood leukemia

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia run an increased risk of having a second cancer in later life.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer among children and adults, with nearly 4,000 new cases being diagnosed each year in the USA. It is readily curable, with survival rates being over 80 per cent. However, there may be complications to come in later life, according to a new study from researchers at St Jude Children's Hospital, Memphis.

They carried out a 30 year follow up on over 2,000 children and adults treated for ALL at the hospital. Among 1,290 who remained in complete remission, 9.5 per cent went on to develop a secondary cancer. The rate of new cancers went up with time over the 30 years, with meningiomas and basal cell carcinomas being a particularly common occurrence. The findings underline the need for careful monitoring of those who have survived ALL over the next few decades of their lives.

Source
Journal of the American Medical Association 21st March 2007 Volume 297 pages 1207-1215

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