Haylee Callison

BIOL 1110-006
04/12/2017

Genes are very complex and different for everyone. They code what a person is going to

look like, act like, and maybe determine a sickness from their family history. A gene is defined

as a sequence of DNA averaging about three thousand bases long that contain the information

necessary to produce all or part of a protein molecule. Any mutation in a sequence of genes can

cause many different problems. It is now shown that genes play a role with childhood cancer

survivors that get cancer for the second time later in their lives. A project that was done found

that 11.5% carry mutations that increase the risk of a later coming cancer (Cunningham, Genetic

Risk of Getting Second Cancer Tallied for Pediatric Survivors).

The project was done to find out how genetics play a role in cancer. Having childhood

cancer of course is always a risk with treatment that has to be done, it even can affect those in

remission and the cancer can come back at any time. David Malkin, a pediatric oncologist at the

University of Toronto said, The results validate the thoughts of those of us who believe there is

a genetic risk that increases the risk of second malignancies. According to the article, it is said

that five-year survival rates for kids who have cancer are more than eighty percent. Also, since

radiation or chemotherapy was used to treat the first cancer, some survivors develop a second

cancer due to this (Cunningham, Genetic Risk of Getting Second Cancer Tallied for Pediatric

Survivors).

Research was done with three-thousand and seven survivors of childhood cancer who did

their routine evaluation at St. Jude. With a third of those having the cancer leukemia, by age 45,

29 percent developed tumors in the skin, breast, or thyroid (Cunningham, Genetic Risk of

Getting Cancer Tallied for Pediatric Survivors). This is not a horrible percentage since it is less

than half, but it is still alarming with the fact that the treatment that was done to take away the

first cancer retaliates and causes a second cancer. Each survivors DNA was cataloged and they
looked at the 156-cancer causing genes which said that 11.5 % had the problematic mutation.

They then looked closer at sixty genes and found that six percent had a mutation that could cause

cancer. Also, they looked at those who did not get radiation for treatment and found that 17

percent still had the problematic mutation in the sixty genes which meant that they had an

increased risk for a second type of cancer. Those who had both a mutation in the sixty genes and

past radiation had a higher risk for breast, thyroid, or tumors in connective tissues (Cunningham,

Genetic Risk of Getting Cancer Tallied for Pediatric Survivors).

From this study and research, genetic counseling is recommended if any type of a second

cancer develops later in life. It is also suggested that genetic counseling is done for anyone that

has already had a second cancer that also received radiation in the past. Robison from the article

notes, Counseling can provide guidance on health practices going forward, reproductive choices

and the implications for immediate family members who may have inherited the mutation

(Cunningham, Genetic Risk of Getting Cancer Tallied for Pediatric Survivors). Also, from this

study it could help with prevention for cancer in the future. Those working on this want to create

different risk groups like treatment and genetics that could help with predictions to see what

measures they should take on different patients (Cunningham, Genetic Risk of Getting Cancer

Tallied for Pediatric Survivors).

The study was biased in the fact that they did not go through all the treatments that could

cause cancer, they only tested those who had radiation. They did not touch on if hormone

therapy or surgery made a difference or not. This study has raised awareness that even though

people had childhood cancer they are not one hundred percent in the clear. They have a risk for a

second cancer especially if they have both the problematic mutation and had radiation in the past
when they had childhood cancer. The percentage may not be more than half but it can affect

enough loved ones who have already went through the battle once.
 Reference Page

Cunningham, Aimee. Genetic Risk of Getting Second Cancer Tallied for Pediatric

Survivors. Science News, Society for Science and the Public, 7 Apr. 2017,

www.sciencenews.org/article/genetic-risk-getting-second-cancer-tallied-pediatric-

survivors?tgt=nr. Accessed 9 Apr. 2017.