Brain tumor risk after an earlier cancer before age 40
Original title: Age- and latency-specific patterns of subsequent malignant brain and other nervous system tumors after cancer diagnosed before age 40 years.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
This looked back at records from real people, not a new treatment.
The short version
People who had cancer at a young age had a small added risk of a brain tumor later.
What was studied. Researchers used a large US cancer records system covering 1975 to 2023. They followed 276,844 people whose first cancer was not a brain or nerve cancer, to see who later got a brain or nerve tumor.
What they found. 345 of these people later got a brain or nerve system tumor. In a similar group of people, about 236.97 were expected. The added risk was largest for those whose first cancer came between ages 0 and 14. After a childhood cancer, 0.257% got one of these tumors within 20 years.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: If you had cancer as a child, your chance of a later brain tumor is higher than average. But the number of people this happens to is still small. It can help to tell your care team about your past cancer. They can tell you what to watch for and when to check in.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean you will get a brain tumor. The study only looked back at old health records. It did not test any drug or treatment, and it cannot show what caused these tumors. It is far from a change in everyday care, and it is not a cure or a promise of one.
Source: PubMed, October 7, 2026 · Read the original
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