Even after successful treatment, sometimes a few cancer cells remain dormant. Over time, they may begin to grow again and cause a variety of symptoms. This is known as cancer recurrence. The new disease may be the same type as the previous one, but sometimes it may start growing in a new location.
New screening and treatment options have reduced the recurrence rates of many types of cancer. Thus, between 2004-2019, the risk of recurrence of colon cancer decreased by 31-68%. For most types of cancer, the risk of cancer recurrence is highest in the first three years after remission. Then, every day you live reduces your chances of encountering cancer again.
Earlier this year, it was learned that Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, had been diagnosed with malignant melanoma. This happened shortly after breast cancer treatment. Most likely, this is a new cancer that is not a recurrence or metastasis of the first one.
Studies conducted in Queensland and Tasmania in Australia show that adult cancer survivors are approximately 6% to 36% more likely to develop a second type of cancer than the general population.
The risk of developing a new type of cancer after treatment for another type of cancer is related to lifestyle, genetic and environmental factors. The increased risk is also due in part to exposure to certain cancer treatments and imaging procedures. However, this risk is small compared to the benefits of these procedures.
In the studies mentioned above, the risk of developing new cancer was greatest in people who had recovered from head and neck cancer or hematological cancer (blood cancer). Additionally, people diagnosed with cancer during childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood have a higher risk of developing a second type of cancer that is unrelated to the first.
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Source: Ferra
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
