First national health report on cancer highlights the risk of secondary tumors

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Anyone who has survived cancer has an increased risk of developing a tumor again. This finding has implications for cancer care in Switzerland. In the national health report on cancer, the National Agency for Cancer Registry (NACR) and the National Childhood Cancer Registry (ChCR) are presenting the corresponding results for the first time today. At the same time, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) is publishing the new figures from the National Cancer Statistics.

The number of people living with and after cancer is steadily increasing in Switzerland. On the one hand, more and more people are developing cancer due to the aging and growing population. On the other hand, the probability of surviving cancer has increased thanks to advances in medicine. Against this background, it is important to know more about the risk of developing another tumor. The topic is particularly relevant for people who are diagnosed with cancer for the first time at a young age.

Secondary tumors are independent new cancers that differ from recurrences and metastases of a previously diagnosed tumor.

For the health report, the NACR run by the National Institute for Cancer Epidemiology and Registration (NICER) and the ChCR run by the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM) at the University of Bern used data on cancer cases from the cantonal cancer registries and the National Childhood Cancer Registry.

Cancer sufferers have an increased risk of developing a tumor again

From 1990 to 2019 – an observation period of 30 years – 551,887 first tumors and 46,348 second tumors were recorded in the Swiss cancer registries – that is 5,341 more second tumor cases than would have been expected due to the general cancer risk. Across all age groups, the risk of developing a second tumor after a first diagnosis was 13% higher than for people with no previous cancer.

The risk of secondary tumors depends on various factors

Factors such as the age at the time of the initial diagnosis, the time that has passed since the first tumor was diagnosed and the type an treatment of the first tumor have a decisive influence on the risk of a second tumor.

People who were diagnosed with cancer in childhood (0-14 years) had a six times higher risk of developing a second tumor. People with a first diagnosis in young adulthood (15-39 years) had twice the risk and people with a first diagnosis in older adulthood (40 years and over) had a 12% higher risk. The risk of developing a second tumor also remained elevated for decades after the first diagnosis.

The report also shows that the risk of a second tumor is particularly high after tumors with smoking or alcohol consumption. In addition, different treatment methods for the first tumor have a varying influence on the risk of developing a second tumor.

Recommendations for the future

Figures on secondary tumors in Switzerland are relevant to health policy: They form the basis for the development of effective and needs-based prevention, treatment and follow-up strategies. Based on the evaluations presented, various measures are needed to reduce secondary tumors in Switzerland as far as possible and improve their early detection.

For example, the results of the report support the strengthening of prevention measures in the area of alcohol and tobacco consumption recommended in the federal goverment’s strategy for the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCD strategy). They are not only relevant for reducing the risk of first tumors, but also reducing the risk of second tumors.

In addition, the authors recommend that digitization in the healthcare sector should be driven forward efficiently so that all relevant information on medical histories is permanently available to patients and doctors providing follow-up care at all times.

A person’s risk of developing cancer again depends on many factors. This is why people with cancer need a good risk assessment and an individualized aftercare plan after completing treatment for a first tumor.

Further research projects to better understand the influence of cancer treatment and other risk factors on the risk of second tumors as well as studies with an even longer observation period can provide more indepth and further insights into the risk of second tumors.

Learn more

The full health report on cancer 2024 (in german) is available at the following link:

https://nkrs.ch/en/statistiques-et-rapports/rapports-sanitaires

https://www.childhoodcancerregistry.ch/statistics-and-reports/health-reporting

Contact for media inquiries

Dr. med Katharina Staehelin, MPH Direktorin Nationale Krebsregistrierungsstelle (NKRS) media@nkrs.ch Tel. +41 44 634 53 73Prof. Dr. med Claudia Kühni, FMH, MSc Leiterin Kinderkrebsregister (KiKR) kikr.ispm@unibe.ch Tel. +41 62 684 35 07

Further information on cancer

Cancer registration provides important data for population-based evaluations of cancer in Switzerland. The National Agency of Cancer Registration (NACR) and the National Childhood Cancer Registry (ChCR) are mandated by the federal government to monitor and report on cancer in Switzerland. The NACR ant the ChCR regularly publish current statistical results on cancer in adults, children and adolescents on their websites. They also transmit the data for national reporting to the Federal Statistical Office.

This Health Report on Cancer is published in the context of the Federal Act on the Registration of Cancer (KRG), which came into force in 2020. The Health Report on Cancer complements the other publications an aims to investigate specific topics and current health policy issues relating to cancer. The health report derives recommendations for politics, research and clinical practice from the results. It is published every three years.