Platinum-based chemotherapy in childhood causes mutations that age the liver

Platinum-based chemotherapy — in particular cisplatin and carboplatin — are a lifeline for children with certain cancers. These treatments, for instance, transformed the prognosis of hepatoblastoma, a rare cancer of the liver that is the most commonly diagnosed in childhood, from a five-year survival rate of 20% to more than 80% for localized tumors.  However, these medications work by damaging the DNA of cancer cells, and they are also known to cause mutations in the DNA of healthy cells, poten...