Multiple Primary Cancers in Patients with Breast and Skin Cancer

The extent of the problem The number of cancer survivors has been increasing dramatically and is expected to keep growing in the near future. In the Netherlands, a 38% increase of cancer survivors is estimated from 2005 to 2015, representing an increase from 500,000 to 692,000 (ex-) patients in this period.1 It is well known that individuals who suffered from cancer exhibit a 20% higher risk of subsequent primary malignancies.2 Thus, as the number of cancer survivors increases, the number of patients with multiple primary cancers will increase as well. Because cancer is more frequent among the elderly, the ageing of the Dutch population will cause a further increase in the number of cases with multiple cancers: Only 5%-12% of cancer patients aged 50-64 were previously diagnosed with cancer, versus 12%-26% of those aged over 803. Other forces, including increased awareness of (second) malignancies, the higher use and sensitivity of diagnostic/detection methods, and the recent improvements in cancer treatment and survival will further lead to higher prevalence of multiple cancers. Cancer survivors who develop a second malignancy have a higher risk of dying4 and experience a worsening in their quality of life. Thus, increased interest in second cancer from the epidemiological and clinical perspective is highly relevant.

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