Which Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivors Are at Risk of Second Cancers?

“The vast majority of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma are cured with a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Our research has shown that these patients are at substantially increased risk of a second cancer later in life -- and particularly if they have a family history of cancer. Younger women who have been treated with radiotherapy to the chest for Hodgkin lymphoma are already screened for breast cancer, but our study suggests that we should be looking at ways of monitoring survivors for other forms of cancer too, and potentially offering preventative interventions,” said Dr. Amit Sud, author of the study and clinical research fellow at The Institute of Cancer Research in London. Once the patients are cured, they no longer see their oncologists. Therefore, it is vital for other healthcare providers to be aware of the increased risk of second cancers after Hodgkin’s lymphoma and to diagnose their onset as early as possible.