| August
9, 2007
Left-Sided Breast Cancer Radiation Boosts Coronary
Risk
By David Douglas
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Aug 09 - Early-stage breast cancer
patients treated with left-sided radiation as a component of breast
conservation have an increased risk of late, radiation-associated
coronary damage, according to researchers.
Nevertheless, "the benefits of radiation therapy for breast
cancer still clearly outweigh the risks," lead investigator
Dr. Candace R. Correa told Reuters Health. "However,"
she added, "there may still be room for improvement in radiation
techniques, which can potentially spare late-onset radiation-associated
sequelae, such as coronary artery disease among left-side irradiated
patients."
In a study published in the July 20th issue of the Journal of
Clinical Oncology, Dr. Correa of the University of Michigan, Ann
Arbor, and colleagues examined the medical records of 961 stage
I-II breast cancer patients.
At diagnosis, patients with left-sided and those with right-sided
breast cancers both had a 7% estimated 10-year risk of developing
coronary artery disease.
At a median of 12 years after radiotherapy, 46 of the left-sided
group and 36 of the right-sided group had undergone cardiac stress
testing.
The results showed that 59% of those in the left-sided group
had abnormalities, significantly more than the 8% proportion in
the right-sided group (p = 0.001). Moreover, 70% of the abnormalities
in the left-sided group were in the left anterior descending artery
territory.
Thirteen women in the left-sided group also underwent cardiac
catheterization, which revealed coronary stenoses in 92%, of which
62% were solely in the left anterior descending artery.
"Careful monitoring and long-term follow-up to assess these
risks by treating physicians is important," Dr. Correa continued.
For patients, she added, "it is most prudent to optimize
their cardiovascular health by living a healthy lifestyle and
speaking with their doctors about risk reduction tools and interventions
that may be appropriate for their situation."
J Clin Oncol 2007;25:3031-3037.
Source: www.medscape.com
Comment:
This is just another example of the pharmaceutical business
with cancer. There is a growing number of research studies
showing the harmful side effects of conventional cancer treatments
like radiation and chemotherapy. The above study showed that
there is increased incidence of coronary artery disease among
breast cancer patients who received radiation treatment. Why
are safe and effective alternatives not recommended to cancer
patients? Pharmaceutical companies intentionally choose to
ignore the overwhelming research in the alternative industry
that proves the efficacy of nutrients in many diseases - including
cancer. Dr. Rath's research has proven that a specific synergistic
combination of essential nutrients can combat cancer and prevent
metastasis. You can find details about Dr. Rath's research
findings in cancer at:
<<http://www.drrathresearch.org/lab_research/scientific_publications.html>> |
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