This study investigated whether women who were treated with certain chemotherapies in childhood have a higher risk of developing breast cancer later in life. The insights gained from this can be used to detect and treat breast cancer more quickly and thus increase the chances of recovery.
Lay Summary of the Study
What did the study want to find out?
This international study, with contributions from Switzerland, looked at whether people who received certain chemotherapies (known as anthracyclines, like doxorubicin) during childhood are at higher risk of developing breast cancer later in life. The goal was to determine if these women need specialized breast cancer screenings.
Why is this important?
The findings from this study help identify which women should start breast cancer screenings at an earlier age. Early screening can lead to quicker detection and more effective treatment of breast cancer.
What did the study do exactly?
The study looked at nearly 18,000 medical records of childhood cancer survivors from Europe and the U.S. Researchers wanted to find out how many women developed breast cancer later in life and which factors influenced this.
What did the study find out and what does this mean?
Around 4% of the women developed breast cancer after surviving childhood cancer. The risk was higher for those who had been treated with doxorubicin, especially at high doses. The risk was even greater for those who also received radiation therapy to the chest.
Prof Dr Leontien Kremer, research group leader at the Princess Máxima Center for pediatric oncology, who led the study, says:
‘We work hard to make treatment for children with cancer more effective, and to improve the quality of life during and after treatment. In our research we saw that the majority of survivors fortunately do not get breast cancer at a young age. But a number of patient groups have a higher risk of developing breast cancer.’
‘Women who received chest radiotherapy as a child are screened for breast cancer from the age of 25, because it was already known that they are at an increased risk. Based on these new results, we aim to expand international guidelines for breast cancer screening, so that women who received a high dose of doxorubicin are also screened early.’
Reference: Wang Y, Ronckers CM, van Leeuwen FE, et al. Subsequent female breast cancer risk associated with anthracycline chemotherapy for childhood cancer. Nat Med. 2023. 29, 2268–2277. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02514-1.
You can find the full article in English here.
Contact:
Nicolas Waespe (nicolas.waespe@unibe.ch)
Here you can download the lay summary: