Second Cancers
Some anti-cancer therapies can damage DNA in healthy cells and lead to the development of second cancers.

Tumor Formation
Cancer cells grow and divide rapidly, without control. In healthy cells, normal control mechanisms are in place to regulate these processes.

Radiation Therapy
Sometimes cancer is treated by directing beams of radiation at the site of the tumor.

Chromosomes
In cells, DNA is wound up tightly and packed into chromosomes, located in the nucleus.

Radiation Damage
Radiation can damage DNA by inverting genes or translocating whole chunks of genetic material from one chromosome to another.

Therapy-induced Second Cancers
If DNA damage caused by radiation or chemotherapy cannot be repaired, the cell might destroy itself. If it is a cancer cell, tumor growth is inhibited and the disease is treated. Sometimes healthy cells incur damage and a new cancer develops months or years after treatment for the first tumor. Second cancers can form in the same organ or in an entirely different part of the body.