Does radiation therapy increase the risk of clinically significant valvular heart disease in patients treated for Hodgkin Lymphoma?
Modern radiation doses of 20-30 Gy for Hodgkin lymphoma with mediastinal involvement carry a small (1.4%) increased 30-year risk of clinically significant valvular heart disease.
Radiation dose to the heart valves can increase the risk of clinically significant VHD, especially at doses above 30 Gy. However, for patients with mediastinal involvement treated today with 20 or 30 Gy, the 30-year risk will be increased by only about 1.4%. These findings may be useful for patients and doctors both before treatment and during follow-up.
Cutter et al. (Tue,) studied this question.
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