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Should we be more concerned about cardiac toxicity following breast radiotherapy?
In a case-control study by Darby et al in the New England Journal of Medicine, patients treated for breast cancer with radiation were found to have an increase in major coronary events by 7%/Gray. Does this mean that cardiac toxicity is greater than previously believed?
Answer from: Radiation Oncologist at Community Practice
The way I interpret the data with all caveats that threshold dose and time period for any cardiac morbidity is significantly lower than what was expected. For that reason, all efforts should be made to avoid any direct photon beam wherever possible to go through any portion of heart b...
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Answer from: Radiation Oncologist at Academic Institution
RT-induced cardiac injury is real. Nevertheless, RT in the post-lumpectomy and post-mastectomy settings typically increases overall survival. So, in the balance, the positive effects of RT on survival outweigh the cardiac effects. Indeed, the increase in the absolute incidence of cardiac disease ...