Long-term effects of cancer

More and more children are surviving cancer, but a new study by the University of California, San Francisco, shows that kids treated for cancer are at a significantly higher risk of developing long-term gastrointestinal (GI) problems, including ulcers, chronic diarrhea and colitis, according to a UCSF press release.

It has long been known that many cancer therapies cause GI complications, but the study—published in the May issue of Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association Institute—is the first major study to examine long-term GI effects on childhood-cancer survivors. Researchers used data from the multicenter Childhood Cancer Survivor Study and found that more than 40 percent of cancer survivors reported some type of GI complication within 20 years after treatment. Those who were diagnosed later in childhood and underwent more intensive therapy such as radiation, chemotherapy and surgery were even more likely to experience long-term problems.

View the full study at http://tinyurl.com/GIcancerCNR.