Many children with cancer survive and live long productive lives, but the late effects of cancer treatment have been a concern for many years. Results of a recent national study revealed that survivors of childhood cancer face a higher risk of getting new cancers in early adulthood, apparently related to chemotherapy and radiation treatments. The most common new cancers occurred in the breast, thyroid and brain.

irritable bowel syndrome is not a dangerous illness and does not lead to intestinal cancer. There is also no increased risk of becoming sick with intestinal cancer.

The most up-to-date statistics available for pediatric and childhood cancers are available in two section of the 1975-2004 SEER Cancer Statistics Review: Cancer Epidemiology in Older Adolescents and Young Adults 15 to 29 Years of Age, Including SEER Incidence and Survival: 1975-2000

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (includes adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma) - Advanced or Metastatic (newly diagnosed or recurrent)

No medical evidence has linked rosacea directly with skin cancer. Rosacea sufferers may be more likely to develop skin cancer later in life because of their frequent light complexions and propensity to injury from ultra-violet radiation from the sun. It is important that you consult your dermatologist if you have any signs of possible skin cancer, such as a mole that is enlarged or asymmetric or that has an irregular border or varying color.

Neuropathy can affect almost any cancer survivor, but the following are high risk conditions either from the cancer or from the treatment received. Having one or more of the following characteristics may increase the chances of developing neuropathy. Some medications, including chemotherapy medications, also increase risk. Discuss your medication-related risk with your health care team.

Little is really known about what causes each of the various types of childhood cancer. Research so far as not been able to tell us why certain children develop cancer and others don't. What is known is that chromosome disorders account for most leukemias. High levels of exposure to radiation, such as the use of X-rays during pregnancy have been linked with one or more childhood cancers. And children with Down Syndrome are known to be at higher risk of developing leukemia.

Adults are told to avoid smoking, radiation, sunburn, eating fatty foods, etc., in order to prevent some forms of cancer. With children, prevention is less an issue, because sometimes the child develops cancer in the first few months or years of life. Also, very little is currently known about what causes childhood cancer. The major causes seem to be chromosomal and genetic abnormalities.

Answer: A woman is more likely to develop breast cancer if she is taking E+P. For every 10,000 women taking estrogen plus progestin, 41 women each year will develop breast cancer as compared to 33 women per year who would develop breast cancer while taking placebo. While this difference in risk is important, the overall risk to an individual woman remains small.

Increased risk of breast cancer is determined in one of two ways. The risk for most women is determined by a computer calculation based on the following factors: The number of breast biopsies a woman has had, especially if the tissue showed a condition known as atypical hyperplasia; and the woman's age at her first menstrual period.

Sadly, the simple answer is an unequivocal ‘yes’. But turn the idea around and you will discover a much more positive message hidden in this fact. Some diets may increase our risk of cancer, but others – especially those that come from plants - will help to protect us from this disease. In fact, after quitting smoking, watching our weight and being careful about what we eat are the most important steps we can take to reduce our chances of getting cancer.

Parents should see that their children have regular medical checkups and should be alert to any unusual signs or symptoms that persist.

Studies looking at the effect of past outdoor sun exposure, in particular sunburn, link childhood exposure to significant increased risk of getting skin cancer later in life. Exposure to UVR over a short period being more damaging than the same amount of exposure over a lifetime. Most skin damage is cumulative - it happens over time. This has led to the recommendation that babies and children always be protected from excessive sun exposure.

There are no obvious or simple signs to watch for in your child or teenager. Symptoms of childhood cancer depend on the type of cancer the child has. For example, they may have frequent bruising (leukemia), pain in the arms or legs (bone cancer), a swollen abdomen (neuroblastoma), dizziness or seizures (brain tumor), or many other groups of symptoms which make it difficult for anyone but a pediatric oncologist to make the diagnosis.

Cancers are rare in small polyps (less than 1 cm. or 1/4 inch). 50% of polyps greater than 2 cm. in size are cancerous. Fortunately, 70% of polyps discovered on a routine colonoscopy are less than 1 cm. in size- It takes about 10 years for a cancer to develop into a benign polyp.

Radiation therapy has improved greatly through the years, and the doses are much lower than they used to be. The bottom line is that women who have radiation therapy after lumpectomy are less likely to have a cancer recurrence in the same breast, and they live just as long as women who undergo mastectomy without radiation.

Information on fertility programs can also be found on the Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology Web site www.sart.org. The resources listed below provide more detailed information and support services to help you with infertility.  Please read the Detailed Information and Suggestions document for more information and questions to ask.

There has been some concern raised over the past ten years that the use of fertility drugs and assisted reproductive technologies may put women at increased risk for either ovarian or breast cancer. Adding fuel to this concern was an irresponsible article published in the otherwise usually reputable Oprah Magazine. There has been an official response to this article from our North American fertility association – The American Society of Reproductive Medicine.

Yes, several residential EPI studies have found an increased risk of lung cancer due to residential exposures (i.e. Sweden, New Jersey ) These studies are also just pieces of a much bigger puzzle that is being put together.

Large-scale studies have shown that there is no increased risk of breast cancer due to breast implants.

Because PCOS is associated with irregular and infrequent ovulation, patients with PCOS may have an increased risk of uterine cancer (see "My doctor told me I have to have regular periods. Why?") This increased risk of uterine cancer can be prevented by the administration of a birth control pill or the regular use of a progestin (progesterone-like man made hormone).

No. There is no evidence that this procedure has any influence on the risk of development of breast cancer.

The risk of breast cancer increases gradually as a woman gets older. However, the risk of developing breast cancer is not the same for all women. Research has shown that the following factors increase a woman's chance of developing this disease: Personal history of breast cancer—Women who have had breast cancer are more likely to develop a second breast cancer.

From time to time articles appear in the media about a risk of ovarian cancer connected with fertility drugs. Current research is inconclusive on this and it may be infertility that causes any increased risk rather than the drugs. If there is any increased risk it is likely to be very small.

Yes, several residential epidemiology studies have found an increased risk of lung cancer due to residential exposures (i.e. Sweden, New Jersey ) These studies are also just pieces of a much bigger puzzle that is being put together. The National Academy of Sciences' BEIR VI Report examines in detail the available studies of radon and lung cancer in homes, as well as the studies of underground miners.

In the early 1990’s a concern was raised that men who had a vasectomy were at greater risk for getting prostate cancer, a disease that will affect 1 out of 6 American men. This concern sparked great interest and research that concluded that vasectomy is not a risk factor for prostate or testicular cancer or any other disease.

Fortunately, the two most common types of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, are rarely life threatening. As a general rule, basal cell carcinoma does not spread to the glands or other parts of the body. Compared to basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma has an increased risk to spread to other parts of the body. Fortunately distant spread is uncommon when the cancer is treated early.

Please consult your doctor to find out what specific diseases or health conditions may put you at increased risk for osteoporosis.