Breast Cancer Mortality and Radiotherapy Effects
Author Information
Author(s): L.E. Rutqvist, H. Johansson
Primary Institution: Oncologic Centre, Radiumhemmet, Karolinska Hospital
Hypothesis
Radiotherapy for breast cancer can cause myocardial infarction.
Conclusion
Patients with left-sided breast cancer have a higher mortality due to myocardial infarction compared to those with right-sided tumours.
Supporting Evidence
- Patients with left-sided tumours had a higher mortality due to myocardial infarction than those with right-sided tumours.
- The relative risk for myocardial infarction was 1.09 for left-sided tumours compared to right-sided.
- Previous studies suggested that radiotherapy can lead to increased cardiovascular deaths.
Takeaway
This study found that women with breast cancer on the left side are more likely to die from heart problems caused by radiation treatment than those with cancer on the right side.
Methodology
The study analyzed cause-specific mortality by laterality of the primary tumour among breast cancer patients reported to the Swedish Cancer Registry from 1970-1985.
Potential Biases
The study may underestimate the risk associated with radiation since not all patients received radiotherapy.
Limitations
The study could not distinguish between patients with bilateral breast cancer and those with other multiple tumours due to data integrity issues.
Participant Demographics
The study included 54,617 breast cancer patients from the Swedish Cancer Registry.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.01
Confidence Interval
1.02-1.17
Statistical Significance
p<0.01
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