Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jan 30, 2026 2 hours, 2 minutes ago
Medical News: Colorectal cancer and the growing survivor population
Colorectal cancer remains one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide, and advances in early detection and treatment have allowed many patients to live longer than ever before. While this is a major medical success, longer survival has also revealed a lesser known but serious concern. Many colorectal cancer survivors go on to develop entirely new and unrelated cancers during their lifetime, known as second primary malignancies. This
Medical News report highlights findings from a large long-term study that sheds light on how often this happens, which cancers are most common, and when the risk is highest.
Large long-term data shows one in five colorectal cancer patients develop another major cancer
Who conducted the study and where
The research was carried out by scientists and clinicians from the Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Soroka University Medical Center, the Faculty of Health Sciences at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, and the Medical School for International Health at Ben Gurion University of the Negev, all based in Beer Sheva-Israel. The team analyzed nationwide health data covering more than two decades.
A massive real-world analysis of cancer survivors
Researchers reviewed medical records of 65,774 adults diagnosed with colorectal cancer between 1999 and 2023. Using a large national healthcare database, they tracked whether patients developed other cancers either before or after their colorectal cancer diagnosis. The results were striking. About 21 percent of colorectal cancer patients were found to have at least one second primary malignancy. In simple terms, roughly one in five patients faced another separate cancer diagnosis during their lifetime.
Which second cancers were most common
The most frequently observed second cancers were breast cancer, prostate cancer, and lung cancer. Breast cancer affected about 8 percent of female colorectal cancer patients, while prostate cancer was found in nearly 5 percent of male patients. Lung cancer occurred in around 3 percent of all patients. Importantly, lung cancer was more likely to appear after colorectal cancer, whereas breast and prostate cancers were often diagnosed in the years leading up to the colorectal cancer diagnosis.
Timing matters and the first three years are critical
One of the most important findings was the timing of these second cancers. The risk was highest within three years before or after the colorectal cancer diagnosis. This period appears to be a window of heightened vulnerability, likely due to increased medical testing, imaging, and follow up visits that uncover hidden cancers which might otherwise go unnoticed.
Lifestyle risks and genetic warning signs
Patients who smoked or had chronic lung disease were more likely to develop a second cancer. The study also found that about 16 percent of patients showed patterns suggesting Lynch syndrome, a hereditary
condition that greatly increases cancer risk. This highlights the need for genetic evaluation in younger patients or those with multiple related cancers.
What these findings mean for patients and doctors
The conclusions are clear and far reaching. Colorectal cancer survivors face a significant risk of developing new cancers, particularly during the critical years around diagnosis. Regular screening, smoking cessation, genetic evaluation, and close medical follow up are essential to catch these cancers early and improve long term survival outcomes. Greater awareness among doctors and patients alike could save lives through timely detection and prevention strategies.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed Journal of Clinical Medicine.
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/3/1053
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https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/cancer
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