In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Yeh et al found evidence of accelerated aging in survivors of childhood cancers through the observed increased risk and early onset of age-related diseases.
Study Details
The study focused on data from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study and national databases to estimate lifetime risks of eight age-related health conditions: breast cancer, colorectal cancer, glial tumors, sarcomas, heart failure, coronary heart disease/myocardial infarction, stroke, and valvular disease. Differences in risk in ≥ 5-year survivors of childhood cancers vs the general population were estimated.
Key Findings
At least one health condition was present in 20% of the general population by age 65; in contrast, at least one condition was present in 20% of childhood cancer survivors by age 47.3, representing a 17.7-year (95% uncertainty interval [UI] = 14.0–21.0 years) earlier onset in survivors.
By age 65, 55% of survivors were projected to develop at least one condition, representing a 2.7-fold (95% UI = 2.2–3.5 years) higher relative risk and 34.2% (95% UI = 28.3%–42.5%) absolute excess risk vs the general population.
Risk of developing age-related conditions was high among childhood cancer survivors who received radiation therapy for their cancer, with a 22-year earlier onset (95% UI = 18–25 years) and a 37.3% excess risk (95% UI = 31.6%–44.7%) vs the general population. However, an increased risk was still present among childhood cancer survivors without radiation exposure, with a 13.5-year earlier onset (95% UI = 10–16 years) and a 31.0% excess risk (95% UI = 23.9%–40.3%).
Compared with the general population, survivors who reached age 40 had a 6.2-fold higher risk (95% UI = 4.8–9.4) of developing a new condition within 10 years.
The investigators concluded: “This study found that survivors of childhood cancer experience accelerated onset of aging-related diseases, regardless of prior radiation exposure. These findings underscore the importance of prioritizing cancer and cardiovascular disease prevention among survivors decades earlier than for the general population.”
Jennifer M. Yeh, PhD, of Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital, is the corresponding author of the JAMA Oncology article.
Disclosure: This study was supported by the American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute. For full disclosures of the study authors, visit jamanetwork.com.
