For long-term survivors of pediatric cancer, that early exposure to cardiac radiotherapy may be associated with higher rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Researchers, who discussed the findings at the 2017 American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, examined a group of 23,465 5-year survivors of pediatric cancer diagnosed in 1970 to 1999.
They found cardiac radiotherapy at doses of 10 grays (Gy) or higher increases cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Pediatric cancer patients are also at a higher risk for CVD after low-dose (less than 10 Gy) cardiac radiotherapy (CRT) or high-dose anthracycline exposure.
“The implications for this research are broad,” said lead investigator James E. Bates, MD, of the University of Florida. “The increased risk for cardiac disease among young children treated with less than 10 Gy of RT [radiotherapy] suggests that optimization of radiotherapy technique to minimize cardiac exposure is important in these patients. Additionally, the increased risk of cardiac disease among young children treated with high-dose anthracyclines emphasizes the importance of long-term screening in survivors of pediatric cancer treated at a young age.”
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Nicholas joined TriMed in 2016 as the managing editor of the Chicago office. After receiving his master’s from Roosevelt University, he worked in various writing/editing roles for magazines ranging in topic from billiards to metallurgy. Currently on Chicago’s north side, Nicholas keeps busy by running, reading and talking to his two cats.