Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer Raises Heart Disease Risk

As a treatment for breast cancer, radiotherapy, even modern regimens, appears to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a report in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute for March 7.
Earlier reports have indicated that radiotherapy regimens used in the 1970s elevate cardiovascular risk, but it has been less clear if more recent regimens also increase the risk.
"Apart from the clear benefits of adjuvant radiotherapy, physicians should still be aware of the potentially increased risk of cardiovascular disease following specific radiotherapy regimens in long-term breast cancer survivors," senior author Dr. Flora E. van Leeuwen, from the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam, and colleagues note.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/553211?sssdmh=dm1.252891&src=nldne

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