Second primary cancer in the brain: a longitudinal case study from childhood into adulthood

Abstract

Second cancers occur after the remission of a previous cancer in patients. Due to the increased successful treatment of childhood cancers, these second cancers are more likely to occur for these patients, later in life. Risk factors and causes for these second cancers include predisposing genetic factors, exposure to radiation and chemotherapy from initial cancer treatment, and environmental conditions. The most likely the reason second cancers occur is multifactorial and involves an interaction of both environmental and genetic factors. We present a longitudinal case study following a patient who was treated for an ependymoma at age three and twenty-two years later presenting with symptoms indicative of another cancer, at age 25.