A Dutch study of almost 4,000 people treated for Hodgkin’s lymphoma using chemotherapy and radiation reports that 48% of those studied were diagnosed with a SECOND cancer in their lifetime.
It was also reported in the December 2015 study, which tracked people treated between the years of 1965-2000, that new advances in chemotherapy in the 1990’s had no change in the incidence of secondary cancers.
“The cumulative incidence of second solid cancers did not differ according to study period (1965–1976, 1977–1988, or 1989–2000)”
This study is EXACTLY why my husband and I chose to address my Stage 2 NLP (nodular lymphocyte predominant) Hodgkin’s lymphoma with nutritional and holistic therapies FIRST. We knew the risk for secondary cancers existed first hand when my aunt (mom’s identical twin,) who had Hodgkin’s as a teenager and was treated conventionally, was diagnosed and passed away from the effects of breast cancer treatment in her 50’s. Her doctor stated that her breast cancer (and heart problems resulting in multiple surgeries,) were caused by her Hodgkin’s treatment as a teenager.
When I was diagnosed at 26, I was perfectly healthy (besides digestive problems from my super poor Standard American Diet.) When the oncology nurse told us all of the effects of the chemotherapy and radiation, it was hard to accept the SIDE EFFECTS from the treatment that wouldn’t be there otherwise. They were pretty much going to ravage me.