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Article: Bone Marrow Transplants Can Cause Cancer Much Later
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- March 27, 1997
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Bone marrow transplants for curing cancer can themselves cause
cancer many years later, a study found.
The reason appears to be the high doses of radiation that are
a crucial part of marrow transplants.
Bone marrow transplants are widely used to treat leukemia and
other blood cancers. Typically, doctors give high doses of
chemotherapy and radiation to kill diseased bone marrow, then
replace it with marrow from a donor.
The treatment can often cure these cancers. However, doctors
were unsure how often the treatment prompts the growth of other
cancers that emerge years later.
In the latest study, Rochelle E. Curtis and colleagues from
the National Cancer Institute followed up on ...