Chest X-rays May Increase Risk Of Breast Cancer In Some

Getting plain chest X-rays may be a simple thing for a number of of us, but it could be a dangerous thing when it comes to women who may have inherited the breast cancer associated genes (BRCA) that would increase the risk of breast cancer. A recent study involving women with genetic mutation that is known to predispose to breast cancer have found that having a routine chest X-ray could double or even triple the risk of having a breast cancer.

These findings come from Dr. David Goldgar and colleges of University of Utah School of medicine. Their research findings appear in the latest issue of Journal of Clinical Oncology. The findings from the study are entirely clear-cut and it is still not clear what kind of chest X-rays causes greatest risk of breast cancer.

The study population included women who have BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, which are, know to increase the risk of breast cancer and ovary cancer.

"The results from this study raise potentially significant clinical considerations," Goldgar writes. "The absolute risk of breast cancer by age 50 years is in the order of 40 percent in BRCA1 carriers and 15 percent in BRCA2 carriers".

Scientists evaluated 1,600 women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations and assessed the effect of ever having a chest X-ray particularly before the age 20. Goldgar's team found that women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 who reported having a chest X-ray were 54 percent more likely to develop breast cancer than those who had never had one.

Exposure to X-rays previous to age 20 was associated with 2.5-fold increased risk of breast cancer compared to those women who never had chest X-rays done. Scientists think that women who have BRCA mutations have impaired capacity for repairing damage caused by ionizing radiation such as X-rays and this may be the reason for increased risk of breast cancer in this group of women. Mammograms were specifically excluded from the study.



Posted by: Janet    Source