These patients have a lower risk of a new tumor

Good news has emerged in the medical world: cancer patients are less likely to develop a second tumor. Here's the information:

Patients with lung cancer treated with immunotherapy or targeted therapies have a lower risk of developing a second primary cancer than those receiving chemotherapy. , according to a study by the Spanish Lung Cancer Group (GECP).

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The study, published in the scientific journal The Lancet Regional Health Europe , is based on data from 20,574 patients diagnosed with lung cancer between August 2016 and March 2023 who had overcome the initial lung tumor and were in active follow-up .

GECP researchers followed patients for a mean period of three years (41.2 months).

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During that time, 480 patients developed a second primary cancer (2.3% of the total, of which 2.9% had received chemotherapy, 2.1% immunotherapy and 1.5% targeted therapies) .

Besides, Immunotherapy was associated with a 53% reduction in the risk of developing a second tumor, and targeted therapies with a 30% reduction. .

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"Without a doubt, these results point to a potential significant advantage for more innovative treatments in terms of long-term prevention," explains Mariano Provencio, president of the GECP and lead author of the study.

"Thanks to advances in lung cancer treatment, more patients are surviving, but when they receive treatment, they also face the risk of developing a second primary tumor, a rare complication that is becoming more important as survival rates increase," the researcher acknowledges.

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Among the factors that most influence the appearance of a second cancer, the study highlights smoking. : Ex-smokers had a 60% higher risk of developing a second cancer, and those who continued to smoke also showed a "significant" increased risk .

For Provencio, the study shows that patients are now surviving longer, but "we are facing long-term effects," so it is necessary to improve the monitoring of these patients and address risk factors.

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OA