Health Previous cancer increases the risk of secondary tumors
People with a previous cancer have an increased risk of developing a second tumor. Across all age groups, the risk of a second tumor is 13 percent higher than in people without a previous cancer.
10.12.2024, 13:37
SDA
Second tumors are new cancers in their own right that are distinct from recurrences and offshoots of a previously diagnosed tumor, the National Cancer Registry (NKRS) and the Childhood Cancer Registry (KiKR) announced on Tuesday.
The number of people living with and after cancer is steadily increasing in Switzerland. This is partly due to the ageing and growth of the population and partly to advances in medicine and the increased likelihood of surviving cancer.
The NKRS and the KiKR published a health report in which the two bodies examined the Swiss cancer registry from 1990 to 2019. They recorded over 550,000 primary tumors and over 45,000 secondary tumors over the 30-year period under review. This is more than 5,000 secondary tumors more than was to be expected due to the general cancer risk, the report continued.
Differences in the age groups
Factors such as age at first diagnosis, the time elapsed since the first tumor diagnosis and the type and treatment of the first tumor have a decisive influence on the risk of second tumors. People with a first diagnosis between the ages of 0 and 14 have a six times higher risk of developing a second tumor, the cancer centers wrote. For diagnoses between the ages of 15 and 39, the risk doubles and for diagnoses from the age of 40, the risk of a second diagnosis is 12 percent higher. The risk of developing a second tumor also remains elevated for decades after the first diagnosis.
The report also shows that the risk of a second tumor is particularly high after tumors associated with smoking or alcohol consumption. Different treatment methods for the first tumor also have varying degrees of influence on the risk of developing a second tumor.
The figures in the report form the basis for the development of effective and needs-based prevention, treatment and follow-up strategies. This includes stronger prevention measures and digitalization in the healthcare system.
