Lifestyle and Subsequent Malignant Neoplasms in Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Report from the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort Study

Cancers (Basel). 2024 Feb 21;16(5):864. doi: 10.3390/cancers16050864.

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to assess longitudinal associations between lifestyle and subsequent malignant neoplasms (SMNs) in young adult childhood cancer survivors.

Methods: Members of the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort (SJLIFE) aged ≥18 years and surviving ≥5 years after childhood cancer diagnosis were queried and evaluated for physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), muscle strength, body mass index (BMI), smoking, risky drinking, and a combined lifestyle score. Time to first SMN, excluding nonmalignant neoplasms and nonmelanoma skin cancer, was the outcome of longitudinal analysis.

Results: Survivors (n = 4072, 47% female, 29% smokers, 37% risky drinkers, 34% obese, and 48% physically inactive) had a mean (SD) time between baseline evaluation and follow-up of 7.0 (3.3) years, an age of 8.7 (5.7) years at diagnosis, and an age of 30 (8.4) years at baseline lifestyle assessment. Neither individual lifestyle factors nor a healthy lifestyle score (RR 0.8, 0.4-1.3, p = 0.36) were associated with the risk of developing an SMN.

Conclusions: We did not identify any association between lifestyle factors and the risk of SMN in young adult childhood cancer survivors.

Keywords: body mass index; cancer; childhood cancer; epidemiology; fitness; physical activity; subsequent malignant neoplasms.