Breast treatment risk to heart "small"
Thursday March 14th, 2013
Women who receive radiotherapy for breast cancer face an increased risk of developing heart disease - but it is small, researchers reported last night.
Radiotherapy
might damage the heart because women are receiving treatment in the region
of the chest.
Now researchers have studied the effect on some 2,000 breast cancer patients in Denmark and Sweden.
Researchers say a woman of 50 treated for cancer on her left side would have an increased risk of dying from heart disease by the age of 80 of about 0.5% - from 1.9% to 2.4%.
The findings were reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Researcher Professor Sarah Darby, of Oxford University, UK, said: "We carried out this work because doctors could not reliably estimate the risk of heart disease in women treated with radiotherapy for breast cancer.
"Doctors can now estimate the risk and know that in most cases it will be very small so that they can reassure their patients. In addition, the few women for whom radiotherapy poses undue risk can now be identified, so that alternative techniques can be considered."
Kate Law, of Cancer Research UK, said: "This research means that doctors will be able to reassure most women that the risk of heart disease from radiotherapy is small.
"Also, for the first time, women who would be at substantial risk if they had radiotherapy can be identified and alternative techniques considered.”
The British Heart Foundation said the findings highlighted the need to reduce the heart's exposure to radiation.
Associate medical director Professor Jeremy Pearson said: "This study shows that the impact of radiotherapy on heart health is directly related to radiation levels. Therefore, efforts to reduce radiation dose to the heart are vital."
He added: "However, the relative increase in risk is small and, for women with no obvious heart disease risk factors, the benefits of radiotherapy overwhelmingly outweigh the dangers. Even for women who have risk factors, the positives of receiving treatment overshadow the negatives."
Darby, S et al. Risk of ischemic heart disease in women after radiotherapy for breast cancer New England Journal of Medicine.13 March 2013 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1209825.
Tags: Cancer | Europe | Heart Health | UK News | Women's Health & Gynaecology
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