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Impact of family history of cancer on risk and mortality of second cancers in patients with prostate cancer

Abstract

Background

Survival rates are increasing in patients with prostate cancer, and second primary cancers (SPCs) are becoming more common in these patients. However, the etiology and clinical consequences of SPCs are not well-known. We define the impact of family history on SPC and causes of mortality in these patients.

Patients and methods

A nation-wide cohort study based on the Swedish Family-Cancer Database covering 4.4 million men and 80,449 prostate cancers diagnosed between 1990 and 2015. Relative risks (RRs) and cumulative incidence for SPCs and for familial SPC were calculated for prostate cancer patients.

Results

SPC was diagnosed in 6,396 men and more than a third of these patients had a first-degree family history of any cancer; the familial risk was 1.37 (95% CI: 1.27–1.40), compared to 1.10 (1.08–1.16), without a family history. Cumulative incidence by the age of 83 years reached 21% for prostate cancer alone, 28% in those with SPC, and 35% in patients with SPC and family history. Family history was associated with the risk of seven specific SPCs, including colorectal, lung, kidney, bladder and skin (both melanoma and squamous cell) cancers, and leukemia. Colorectal and lung cancers were common SPCs, and family history doubled the risk of these SPCs. In patients with SPC, half of all causes of death were due to SPC and only 12.77% were due to prostate cancer. Most deaths in SPC were caused by lung and colorectal cancers.

Conclusions

SPCs were an important cause of death in patients with prostate cancer and family history was an important risk factor for SPCs. Prevention of SPC should be essential when prostate cancer survival rates are being improved and this could start by conducting a thorough assessment of family history at the time of prostate cancer diagnosis.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful for Patrick Reilly for language editing. This project was supported by grants from the German Cancer Aid, the Swedish Research Council (2014-2517, 2014-10134, and 2016-01176), and ALF funding from Region Skane, Sweden.

Author contributions

The study was designed by KH, OH, SC. KS, and JS were responsible for data acquisition. Data analysis was done by SC, KH, and AF. All authors interpreted the data. The first draft of the report was written by KH. The decision to submit the report for publication was made by all the authors. All authors contributed to the review of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Kari Hemminki.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Chattopadhyay, S., Hemminki, O., Försti, A. et al. Impact of family history of cancer on risk and mortality of second cancers in patients with prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 22, 143–149 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41391-018-0089-y

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