Second cancer ‘likely’ for children

Childhood cancer survivors are three to six times as likely to develop a second cancer than those who have not had the disease.

Those who have suffered from cancer also naturally age faster than their peers, a study published in the online journal ESMO Open has found.

The authors said that thanks to more effective diagnosis and treatment, the number of cancer survivors is set to rise.

However, those survivors are more likely to develop longterm conditions and sooner than the general population.

These conditions include hormonal and gland disorders, heart problems, lower bone mineral density, lung scarring, secondary cancers, and frailty.

This diminishes “physiological reserve” – the capacity in organs and biological body systems given to us at birth – and the body’s natural resilience.

Other findings included that childhood cancer survivors’ estimated life expectancy is 30 per cent lower than the general population.