If I am diagnosed with cancer, am I likely to get another one?

Receiving a cancer diagnosis is life-changing and can cause a range of ongoing health concerns.

The fear that the cancer will return is one of the most important biggest health problems. And controlling this fear is an important part of cancer treatment.

But what are the chances that you will get cancer for the second time?

Why can cancer return?

Although the initial treatment of cancer appears successful, sometimes some cancer cells remain inactive. Over time, these cancer cells can grow again and cause symptoms.

This is known as cancer recurrence: when the cancer returns after a period of remission. This period can last days, months or even years. The new cancer is the same type as the original cancer, but can sometimes grow in a new location through a process called metastasis.

Actor Hugh Jackman has made his story public multiple diagnoses of basal cell carcinoma (a type of skin cancer) about the past decade.

The exact reason why cancer returns varies depending on the type of cancer and the treatment received. Research is continuous to identify genes associated with recurring cancers. This will ultimately allow doctors to tailor treatments for people at high risk.

What are the chances of cancer returning?

The risk of cancer recurrence varies between cancers and between cancer types sub-types from the same cancer.

New screening and treatment options have led to a decrease in recurrence rates for many types of cancer. For example, between 2004 and 2019, the risk of colon cancer returning has decreased 31–68%. It is important to remember that only one’s treatment team can assess their personal risk of cancer recurrence.

For most types of cancer, the highest risk of cancer recurrence is within first three years after entering remission. This is because any remaining cancer cells that are not killed by the treatment will likely start growing again sooner or later. Three years after entering remission, recurrence rates for most cancers decrease, meaning that each day that passes lowers the risk of the cancer returning.

With each passing day, the number of new discoveries and development of anti-cancer drugs also increases.

What about second, unrelated cancers?

Earlier this year we learned that Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, had been diagnosed with malignant melanoma (a form of skin cancer). shortly after being treated for breast cancer.

Although details have not yet been confirmed, it is likely a new cancer that is not a recurrence or metastasis of the first.

Australian research Queensland And Tasmania shows that adults who have had cancer have an approximately 6-36% higher risk of developing a second primary cancer compared to the risk of cancer in the general population.

Who is at risk for another, unrelated cancer?

Thanks to improvements in cancer diagnosis and treatment, people diagnosed with cancer are living longer than ever. This means they need to consider their long-term health, including their risk of developing a new, unrelated cancer.

Reasons for such cancers Involving different types of cancer that share the same type of lifestyle, environmental and genetic risk factors.

The increased risk is also likely due in part to the effects that some cancer treatments and imaging procedures have on the body. However, this increased risk is present relatively small compared to the (sometimes life-saving) benefits of these treatments and procedures.

Although a 6-36% increased risk of developing a second, unrelated cancer seems high, only about 10-12% of participants developed a second cancer in the Australian studies we mentioned. Both had an average follow-up duration of approximately five years.

Also in a major American study only about one in twelve adult cancer patients developed a second type of cancer during the follow-up period (an average of seven years).

The type of first cancer you have also affects your risk of a second, unrelated cancer, and the type of second cancer you are at risk for. For example, in the two Australian studies we mentioned, the risk of a second cancer was higher for people with an initial diagnosis of head and neck cancer or a hematological (blood) cancer.

People diagnosed with cancer as child, adolescent or young adult also have a greater risk of a second, unrelated cancer.

What can I do to lower my risk?

Regular follow-up examinations can give you peace of mind and ensure that any subsequent cancer is caught early, when the chance of successful treatment is greatest.

Maintenance therapy can be used to reduce the risk of certain cancers returning. However, despite persistent researchThere are no specific treatments against cancer recurrence or the development of a second, unrelated cancer.

But there are things you can do to help lower your overall risk of cancer: don’t smoke, be physically active, eat right, maintain a healthy body weight, limit alcohol intake, and be safe from the sun. All this reduces the chance of that cancer that returns And get a second cancer.

This article is republished from The conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.