Characterization of cardiovascular injury in mice following partial-heart irradiation with clinically relevant dose and fractionation

Radiation-induced heart disease (RIHD) is a major late side effect of radiation therapy (RT) for breast cancer and other thoracic cancers. Many women who have been treated with adjuvant RT for left-sided breast cancer received 2 Gy daily fractions to 50 Gy total. While adjuvant RT improves overall survival in patients with invasive breast cancer, survivors who receive RT are at increased risk of late cardiac morbidity and mortality (1-4). A population-based study of 2,168 women receiving RT for breast cancer reported that each 1 Gy increase in mean heart dose conferred a 7.4% increase in the risk of major coronary events, without an apparent threshold (4).

Source: Radiotherapy and Oncology - February 2, 2021 Category: Radiology Authors: Chang-Lung Lee, Jessica Lee, Andrea R. Daniel, Matt Holbrook, Stephanie Hasapis, Ato O. Wright, Jeremy Brownstein, Lorraine Da Silva Campos, Yan Ma, Dennis Abraham, Cristian T. Badea, David G. Kirsch Tags: Original Article Source Type: research