Second Primary Cancers: Mechanistic Insights, Clinical Experience and Translational Research

Second Primary Cancers (SPCs) are an increasingly significant focus within oncology, arising as the incidence of cancer survivorship grows alongside advances in both solid and hematological cancer therapies. Despite notable strides in first primary cancer survival outcomes, this progress has revealed new complexities, most notably the heterogeneous risk and burden of SPCs. Current evidence demonstrates that SPC incidence can vary widely among cancer populations, reflecting both intrinsic patient factors and differences in primary tumor biology. Recent developments in genomic, molecular, and immunological profiling have enhanced our ability to dissect the clonal evolution and divergent pathways involved in SPC development. However, significant knowledge gaps remain, including the multifaceted interplay of cytotoxic exposures, host genetics, microenvironmental changes, and the evolving landscape of modern targeted and immune-based therapies.This Research Topic aims to refine the biological and clinical understanding of SPCs by comprehensively characterizing the mechanisms that drive secondary tumor development in individuals who have survived a first primary cancer. The main objectives are to elucidate molecular and immune pathways contributing to SPC pathogenesis, define key risk and predictive factors, and assess how evolving treatment paradigms and survivorship influence SPC epidemiology. By integrating translational, clinical, and epidemiologic research, this Research Topic seeks to inform the creation of personalized prevention, monitoring, and management strategies. Furthermore, it prioritizes evaluation of SPCs’ impact on health-related quality of life and advocates for innovative approaches to reduce incidence and improve survivorship outcomes.In scope, this Research Topic encompasses the spectrum of biological, molecular, clinical, and population-based research relating to SPCs in cancer survivors. We encourage comprehensive, multidisciplinary contributions but exclude unrelated primary cancer research or non-human studies. To gather further insights in this rapidly advancing field, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Biological and molecular mechanisms of SPC development.- Impact of cancer therapies on SPC risk, including latency and therapy-specific genetic alterations.- Epidemiological trends and changing incidence of SPCs in response to new therapeutic paradigms and survivorship improvements.- Clinical and biomarker-driven risk stratification and predictive modeling.- Immunological determinants and the role of immunotherapy in SPC pathogenesis.- Assessment of SPCs’ impact on HRQoL, functional outcomes, and patient-reported experiences.- Development and evaluation of preventive, screening, and early intervention strategies for SPCs.- Real-world evidence from registries, databases, and large-scale observational cohorts.Please note that manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases that are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of the scope of this Research Topic. Topic editors: Massimo Breccia, Tiago Veiras Collares, Loredana Ungureanu, Raj Vaghjiani Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79437/second-primary-cancers-mechanistic-insights-clinical-experience-and-translational-research