Surviving Cancer in Youth Linked to Higher Risk of Endocrine Disease

Survivors of cancer in adolescence and young adulthood may be at higher risk for endocrine diseases, such as thyroid disease, testicular dysfunction, and diabetes, according to a recent study published in JAMA.

As cancer survival rates continue to improve, more individuals are experiencing the long-term health consequences of their treatments. The researchers hope that determining the potential late effects can help better inform therapeutic decisions for each patient to maximize quality of life after cancer treatment.

For the study, the researchers identified 32,548 one-year cancer survivors diagnosed at ages 15 to 39 years old from the Danish Cancer Registry and 188,728 cancer-free comparison participants. The study was conducted from January 1, 1976, through December 31, 2009, and included follow-up from January 1, 1977, through December 31, 2010. Analyses were performed from July 3, 2015, to February 27, 2018.

Overall, the data demonstrated that adolescent and young adult cancer survivors have a 73% higher risk for endocrine disease than the background population.

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