Breast cancer alert risk for prior Hodgkin's radiotherapy patients

[seafan]

This is from the UK Independent.

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11 November 2003

Doctors and cancer charities have been asked to help trace 5,000 women who are at high risk of breast cancer after receiving radiotherapy treatment for the immune system disorder Hodgkin's disease.

The Department of Health said yesterday that research showed up to one in three women given the treatment in childhood, and up to one in four who received it as a young adult, had developed breast cancer within 25 years. The average risk of developing breast cancer by 50 is one in 50.

The treatment, called supradiaphragmatic radiotherapy, involves irradiating the neck, breast area and armpits of affected women and has been used since 1962. Women who were under 35 at the time of treatment are at greatest risk but are not invited for breast screening until the age of 50.

Professor Mike Richards, the Government's cancer tsar, said....
".....we now know that more of these patients are developing breast cancer than would normally be expected. That is why we are taking action to alert patients and to offer them screening to try and pick up any cancers early." <snip> ......Evidence of the harmful effects of the radiotherapy only came to light in May and an expert advisory group was set up. Women who received the treatment will be offered annual breast screening and cancer charities are to assist in tracing as many of the women as possible by January.


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http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health/story.jsp?story=462646


So, this evidence came out in May? I don't recall hearing anything about this from our media. But hey, women are *only* half the population. This really makes me angry that this is just coming to light, six months after the evidence came in.