<p>Researchers reviewed cases of around 900 childhood cancer survivors treated at the Sydney Children's Hospital from 1972 to 1999, with records of new cancer cases and early deaths.<br /><br />The study found out childhood cancer survivors had an almost five-fold increased rate of developing new cancer and they were 7.5 times more likely to die early, Australian news agency AAP reported Sunday.<br /><br />Lesley Ashton, head of the Molecular Epidemiology Programme at the Children's Cancer Institute Australia, said this could often be traced to the life-saving therapies they received in their youth.<br /><br />"Our results highlight that it is important for cancer survivors to be aware of the risk factors for complications of treatment and second cancers, and maintain good follow-up health care," Ashton wrote in the Medical Journal of Australia.<br /><br />He said two-thirds of survivors of childhood cancer would go on to develop a related chronic health condition later in life, and for a small number it would be life threatening.This included new tumours - particularly thyroid, breast, bone or brain cancers. Research was under way to isolate the genes which play a role in determining which survivors would develop new cancers, he said.</p>
<p>Researchers reviewed cases of around 900 childhood cancer survivors treated at the Sydney Children's Hospital from 1972 to 1999, with records of new cancer cases and early deaths.<br /><br />The study found out childhood cancer survivors had an almost five-fold increased rate of developing new cancer and they were 7.5 times more likely to die early, Australian news agency AAP reported Sunday.<br /><br />Lesley Ashton, head of the Molecular Epidemiology Programme at the Children's Cancer Institute Australia, said this could often be traced to the life-saving therapies they received in their youth.<br /><br />"Our results highlight that it is important for cancer survivors to be aware of the risk factors for complications of treatment and second cancers, and maintain good follow-up health care," Ashton wrote in the Medical Journal of Australia.<br /><br />He said two-thirds of survivors of childhood cancer would go on to develop a related chronic health condition later in life, and for a small number it would be life threatening.This included new tumours - particularly thyroid, breast, bone or brain cancers. Research was under way to isolate the genes which play a role in determining which survivors would develop new cancers, he said.</p>