Skip to main content
Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
BMJ. 1993 Oct 23; 307(6911): 1030–1036.
PMCID: PMC1679220
PMID: 8251777

Second malignant neoplasms after cancer in childhood or adolescence. Nordic Society of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology Association of the Nordic Cancer Registries.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE--To assess the relative risk of developing a second malignant neoplasm in people with a diagnosis of cancer in childhood and adolescence. DESIGN--Register based follow up study. SETTING--Populations of Nordic countries. SUBJECTS--30,880 people under the age of 20 with a first malignant neoplasm diagnosed during the period 1943-87. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Relative and attributable risks of second malignant neoplasms by type of first cancer, age at first diagnosis, calendar period, sex, and country. Expected figures were based on the appropriate national incidence rates for cancer. RESULTS--247 cases of second malignant neoplasms were observed in 238 patients, yielding a relative risk for cancer of 3.6 (95% confidence interval 3.1 to 4.1). The risk changed significantly from 2.6 in people first diagnosed during the 1940s and 1950s to 6.9 among cohort members included in the late 1970s and 1980s. Increases were observed for most types of cancer. Highest levels of the relative risk were seen during the 10 years immediately after first malignant diagnosis. The incidence of second malignant neoplasms attributable to the first cancer and associated treatments, however, showed a consistent rise throughout the 45 years of follow up. CONCLUSION--The estimated risks for a second malignant neoplasm were significantly lower than those found in most large hospital based studies but compatible with the results from a similar population based study in the United Kingdom. Extent of risk and cancer pattern were similar among the Nordic countries and are believed to be representative for a large part of the European population.

Full text

Full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. Get a printable copy (PDF file) of the complete article (1.5M), or click on a page image below to browse page by page. Links to PubMed are also available for Selected References.

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  • Li FP, Cassady JR, Jaffe N. Risk of second tumors in survivors of childhood cancer. Cancer. 1975 Apr;35(4):1230–1235. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Miké V, Meadows AT, D'Angio GJ. Incidence of second malignant neoplasms in children: results of an international study. Lancet. 1982 Dec 11;2(8311):1326–1331. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Tsunematsu Y, Watanabe S, Inoue R, Minoda K, Tsuchida A, Bessho F, Tsukimoto I, Imashuku S, Matsuyama S, Kobayashi N. Multiple primary malignancies in childhood cancer. Jpn J Clin Oncol. 1985 Apr;15 (Suppl 1):223–233. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Olsen JH. Risk of second cancer after cancer in childhood. Cancer. 1986 Jun 1;57(11):2250–2254. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Terracini B, Pastore G, Zurlo MG, Masera G, Fossati-Bellani F, Castello M, Tamaro P, Massolo F, Rosati D, Biddau PF, et al. Late deaths and second primary malignancies among long-term survivors of childhood cancer: an Italian multicentre study. Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol. 1987 May;23(5):499–504. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Witherspoon RP, Fisher LD, Schoch G, Martin P, Sullivan KM, Sanders J, Deeg HJ, Doney K, Thomas D, Storb R, et al. Secondary cancers after bone marrow transplantation for leukemia or aplastic anemia. N Engl J Med. 1989 Sep 21;321(12):784–789. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Nygaard R, Garwicz S, Haldorsen T, Hertz H, Jonmundsson GK, Lanning M, Moe PJ. Second malignant neoplasms in patients treated for childhood leukemia. A population-based cohort study from the Nordic countries. The Nordic Society of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology (NOPHO). Acta Paediatr Scand. 1991 Dec;80(12):1220–1228. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Neglia JP, Meadows AT, Robison LL, Kim TH, Newton WA, Ruymann FB, Sather HN, Hammond GD. Second neoplasms after acute lymphoblastic leukemia in childhood. N Engl J Med. 1991 Nov 7;325(19):1330–1336. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Boice JD, Jr, Storm HH, Curtis RE, Jensen OM, Kleinerman RA, Jensen HS, Flannery JT, Fraumeni JF., Jr Introduction to the study of multiple primary cancers. Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 1985 Dec;68:3–9. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Jensen OM, Storm HH, Jensen HS. Cancer registration in Denmark and the study of multiple primary cancers, 1943-80. Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 1985 Dec;68:245–251. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Birch JM, Marsden HB. A classification scheme for childhood cancer. Int J Cancer. 1987 Nov 15;40(5):620–624. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • de Nully Brown P, Hertz H, Olsen JH, Yssing M, Scheibel E, Jensen OM. Incidence of childhood cancer in Denmark 1943-1984. Int J Epidemiol. 1989 Sep;18(3):546–555. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Tucker MA, D'Angio GJ, Boice JD, Jr, Strong LC, Li FP, Stovall M, Stone BJ, Green DM, Lombardi F, Newton W, et al. Bone sarcomas linked to radiotherapy and chemotherapy in children. N Engl J Med. 1987 Sep 3;317(10):588–593. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Tucker MA, Meadows AT, Boice JD, Jr, Stovall M, Oberlin O, Stone BJ, Birch J, Voûte PA, Hoover RN, Fraumeni JF., Jr Leukemia after therapy with alkylating agents for childhood cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1987 Mar;78(3):459–464. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Tarbell NJ, Gelber RD, Weinstein HJ, Mauch P. Sex differences in risk of second malignant tumours after Hodgkin's disease in childhood. Lancet. 1993 Jun 5;341(8858):1428–1432. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • Tucker MA, Jones PH, Boice JD, Jr, Robison LL, Stone BJ, Stovall M, Jenkin RD, Lubin JH, Baum ES, Siegel SE, et al. Therapeutic radiation at a young age is linked to secondary thyroid cancer. The Late Effects Study Group. Cancer Res. 1991 Jun 1;51(11):2885–2888. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The BMJ are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

-