Childhood Radiotherapy Raises Diabetes Risk In Adulthood

Recent studies found that children who underwent cancer treatment are almost at twice the risk of developing diabetes in their later life.

Researchers say that children who were treated with complete body radiation or abdominal radiation to fight off cancer appear to have higher risk of diabetes further as adults.

The odds of surviving childhood cancer have improved with better therapies but several research teams have found that some treatments pose health risks later in life.

Dr. Lillian Meacham of Emory University in Atlanta and colleagues compared rates of diabetes in nearly 8,600 childhood cancer survivors diagnosed between 1970 and 1986, and nearly 3,000 of their siblings who did not have cancer.

Read more at Reuters