In a nutshell
This study looked at the 30-year risk of heart disease in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) treated with radiotherapy. It found that radiotherapy led to a small increase in the risk of death from heart disease or stroke in these patients.
Some background
HL is often treated with a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Radiotherapy can increase the risk of heart disease later in life. However not using radiotherapy can increase the risk of the cancer recurring. It is not clear how much radiotherapy increases the risk of heart disease in patients with HL.
Methods & findings
183 patients with HL were assessed for this study. Patients had received chemotherapy and radiotherapy and had no evidence of cancer remaining on scans. The average radiation dose patients received to their heart was 4 Gy. The 30-year risk of heart disease in these patients was calculated compared to the risk in the general population.
The risk of death from heart disease or stroke in these patients was 5.02%. 3.53% of this risk was due to the expected risk of heart disease in the general population. 0.94% of the risk was due to the effects of the chemotherapy. 0.56% of the risk was due to the effects of radiotherapy.
Overall, the risk of developing new heart disease related to the radiotherapy was 6.2% over 30 years.
The bottom line
This study showed that the overall risk of death from heart disease or stroke caused by radiotherapy for HL is small. The authors suggest that radiotherapy may provide more benefits for these patients, particularly when using modern radiotherapy techniques.
The fine print
This study used calculations to predict the risk of heart disease. It would be necessary to follow these patients for another 20 years to know for certain if these calculations are correct.
Published By :
Journal of clinical oncology
Date :
Aug 13, 2021
