HealthThe Naked ScientistsChildhood chemotherapy may increase future disease risk
A new study published in Science found that platinum-based childhood chemotherapy leaves lasting genetic damage in healthy tissues, effectively ageing organs and raising future disease risk.
A new study has found that chemotherapy in childhood can leave lasting genetic scars on the healthy tissues of kids treated for cancer with certain platinum-based chemo drugs. These genetic changes effectively “age” the affected organs by the equivalent of many years, making new diseases, and especially new cancers, that much more likely. The findings - which have been
Researchers at King's College Hospital and the Francis Crick Institute found that platinum-based chemotherapy causes lasting genetic changes in the healthy tissues of children treated for cancer.
The study, published in Science, focused on liver tissue and found the genetic damage effectively ages the organ by the equivalent of many years.
The findings could help explain why childhood cancer survivors are more likely to develop secondary cancers or liver disease later in life, the researchers say.
The researchers say these findings could help explain secondary cancers and liver disease seen in childhood cancer survivors years later, so survivors may benefit from discussing long-term…
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