[Cardiac effects of radiation therapy]

Abstract

Because of increased life-expentancy cancer patients having undergone radiation therapy nowadays live longer, and late-appearing adverse effects are therefore playing a more significant role. Radiation therapy given to the chest is known to approximately double the risk of heart disease, the cumulative total radiation dose being the most important risk-increasing factor. The most significant adverse effects appear only years after the treatment. The mortality from late manifestations reduces the total benefit of radiation therapy. Patients with radiation therapy due to a cancer of the left breast or Hodgkin's lymphoma are particularly susceptible to cardiac effects. A safe radiation dose is not known.