February 4, 2010
Childhood Cancer Survivors Targets for Heart Disease
Childhood cancer survivors are at increased risk for diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure, all of which predispose them to heart disease, say U.S. researchers.
They analyzed data on almost 8,600 survivors and close to 3,000 of their siblings who took part in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.
"In data previously published from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, pediatric cancer survivors were found to be at almost 10-fold greater risk for cardiovascular disease than their non-survivor counterparts," Dr. Lillian R. Meacham, medical director of the Cancer Survivor Program and professor of pediatrics at Emory University, said in a news release.
"In this study, we identified whether the predisposing risk factors for cardiovascular disease -- obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia [high cholesterol] and diabetes -- were present at higher rates compared to siblings. If the risk factors could be recognized and treated early it is hoped some of the long-term cardiac side effects could be averted," she said.
Meacham and her colleagues found that childhood cancer survivors were nearly twice as likely as their siblings to take medication for high blood pressure, 70 percent more likely to have diabetes and 60 percent more likely to take cholesterol medication. The cancer survivors were not more likely than their siblings to be obese.
The study was published Jan. 7 in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
Meacham said radiation treatment may play a role in the development of cardiovascular disease risk factors. Total body radiation was associated with a 5.5-fold increased risk of cardiovascular risk factor clustering, while chest and abdomen radiation was associated with a 2.2-fold increased risk.
"Mechanistically, we are not yet sure why this is, but the association is definitely there," Meacham said.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about the long-term effects of treatment for childhood cancer.
Author: Robert Preidt
Source: http://www.businessweek.com/
Comments:
The occurrence of serious side effects is expected during cancer treatment. This study, once again, elucidates that fact that immediate treatment side effects are not the only issues cancer patients have to worry about. In addition to the constant fear of cancer recurrence, patients also have to worry about long-term side effects of the treatments. The children who survived cancer are at a 10-fold higher risk of developing some kind of cardiovascular disease later in life. The authors found that predisposing factors such as obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes, were much more prevalent in cancer survivors than in healthy people. This is especially a concern in cases involving children because most of the medicines and other treatments, including over-the-counter products given to children are not studied in pediatric clinical trials. Even if some children are tested, long term effects still remain unknown due to the lack of follow up data. It is only after the diagnosis of heart disease that cancer survivors would learn that it is caused by the administration of the earlier cancer treatment. Although the mechanism of developing heart disease post-cancer treatment is unknown at this point for pediatric cancer survivors, the study authors agree such association is definitely present.
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