Childhood cancer survivors at greater risk for diabetes & autoimmune diseases

According to HealthDay News, those who survived childhood cancers are not totally free from health risks, as a new study reported that the survivors face heightened risks of being diagnosed with autoimmune diseases.

The new study analyzed data from almost 126,000 adults, who were not diagnosed with childhood cancer, and more than 20,000 childhood cancer patients from the countries of Sweden, Iceland and Denmark who survived the illness for at least a year.

The study makes follow-ups to check the health status of the participants. Between 15 to 19 years after the study started, it was found out that among all participants who suffered from childhood cancer, 3.6 percent of them were diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. Dr. Anna Sallfors Holmqvist, a specialist at Skane University Hospital, said it is 40 percent higher compared to participants who did not have childhood cancer.

Aside from this, the new study also suggests that those who specifically suffered from central nervous system tumors, Hodgkin's lymphoma, kidney cancer and leukemia are more at risk of getting autoimmune diseases compared to those who were diagnosed with other types of cancer.

Also, it was observed that there are two certain kinds of autoimmune disease that usually attack childhood cancer survivors: Addison's disease and diabetes.

Data from the new study show that almost half of the childhood cancer survivors who were treated with autoimmune disease were hit by either Addison's disease or diabetes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines diabetes as a disorder in which the food consumed is converted into glucose but is not properly processed for energy use. It is a disease that occurs when the body doesn't produce sufficient insulin, which is what is needed to transport glucose into the body cells.

On the other hand, Mayo Clinic describes Addison's disease as a health condition that occurs when a person's adrenal glands don't produce enough cortisol and/or aldosterone.

Due to these findings, researchers noted that it is not enough for those who have childhood cancers to fight and survive cancer. If they want to live a healthy life, then they should pay extreme attention to the health challenges they might encounter in the future and maintain their quality of life permanently.