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Receiving a cancer diagnosis is life-changing and can create a variety of concerns about ongoing health. The fear of cancer returning is one of the top health concerns. And managing this fear is an important part of cancer treatment. But what are the chances of getting cancer a second time? (Also read: ICMR says repeated heating of vegetable oils may increase cancer risk; shares correct way of reusing, storing oil)
Why can cancer come back?
Although initial cancer treatment may seem successful, sometimes some cancer cells remain dormant. Over time, these cancer cells may grow again and begin to cause symptoms.
This is known as cancer recurrence: when cancer returns after a period of remission. This period can be 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 gone public about his multiple diagnoses of basal cell carcinoma (a type of skin cancer) over the past decade.
The exact reason for cancer recurrence varies depending on the type of cancer and the treatment received. Research is ongoing to identify genes associated with cancer return. This could eventually allow doctors to tailor treatments to people at higher risk.
What are the chances of the cancer coming back?
The risk of cancer returning varies between cancers and between subtypes of the same cancer.
New screening and treatment options have shown reductions in recurrence rates for many types of cancer. For example, between 2004 and 2019, the risk of colon cancer recurrence decreased by 31-68 percent. It is important to remember that only one’s treatment team can assess a person’s individual risk of their cancer returning.
For most types of cancer, the highest risk of the cancer returning is within the first three years after entering treatment. This is because the remaining cancer cells that are not killed by treatment sooner or later start growing again. Three years after entering remission, recurrence rates for most cancers decrease, meaning that each day that passes decreases the risk of the cancer returning.
Every day that passes also increases the number of new discoveries and developments of cancer drugs.
Secondly, what about unrelated cancers?
Earlier this year, we learned that the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson was diagnosed with deadly melanoma (a type of skin cancer) shortly after treatment for breast cancer.
Although details have not been confirmed, it is likely a new cancer that is not a recurrence or metastasis of an earlier cancer.
Australian research from Queensland and Tasmania shows that among adults who have had cancer, the risk of developing a second primary cancer is approximately 6-36 percent higher than the risk of cancer in the general population.
Secondly, who is at risk for unrelated cancers?
With improvements in cancer diagnosis and treatment, people with cancer are living longer than ever before. This means they need to consider their long-term health, including their risk of developing another unrelated cancer.
The causes of such cancers include different types of cancer with similar lifestyle, environmental and genetic risk factors.
The increased risk may also be partly due to the effects of some cancer treatments and imaging procedures on the body. However, this increased risk is relatively small compared to the (sometimes life-saving) benefits of these treatments and procedures.
While the chance of developing a second, unrelated cancer of 6–36 percent may seem large, only 10–12 percent of participants in the Australian studies we reported developed a second cancer. The average follow-up time for both was about five years.
Similarly, only one in 12 adult cancer patients in a large US study developed a second type of cancer over the follow-up period (average seven years).
The type of cancer you first have also affects your risk of a second, unrelated cancer. For example, in the two Australian studies we mentioned, the risk of a second cancer was higher for people with an early diagnosis of head and neck cancer, or hematological (blood) cancer.
People who are diagnosed with cancer as a child, teen, or young adult also have a higher risk of second, unrelated cancer.
What can I do to reduce my risk?
Regular follow-up examinations can give peace of mind, and ensure that any late cancer is detected early, when there is the best chance of successful treatment.
Maintenance therapy may be used to reduce the risk of some types of cancer returning. However, despite ongoing research, there are no specific treatments against cancer recurrence or the development of second, unrelated cancers.
But there are some things you can do to help reduce the general risk of cancer – not smoking, being physically active, eating well, maintaining a healthy body weight, limiting alcohol intake and staying safe from the sun. stay. All these reduce the chances of cancer coming back and getting cancer again.
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