ABSTRACT: Increased risk of secondary breast cancer associated with radiation therapy for Hodgkin's disease around time of pregnancy Purpose/Objective: A well-documented late effect of radiation therapy for Hodgkin's Disease (HD) is the development of secondary breast cancers. The risk of developing a secondary breast cancer has been shown to be associated with the age at the time of radiation exposure, with young females exposed during puberty having the highest risks. This increased risk may be due to the hormonally induced hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the breast tissue occurring at the time of puberty. The accelerated rate of cell division, tissue growth and cell turnover in the breast may potentiate the carcinogenic effects of radiation. Pregnancy is also a time of significant cell division and tissue growth in the breast; and therefore, may also be a time of increased susceptibility to the carcinogenic effects of radiation. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between radiation treatment around the time of pregnancy and the development of secondary breast cancer. Conclusions: The results of this study support an association between radiation therapy for HD around the time of pregnancy and the development of a secondary breast cancer. There is a significant increase in the prevalence of breast cancer associated with radiation therapy for HD around the time of pregnancy (18% vs. 1.4%; p < 0.001). Odds ratio gives a 12.7 times greater likelihood that the women who developed secondary breast cancer had received their radiation treatment for HD around the time of pregnancy than those who did not develop breast cancer. In addition, the time period between radiation therapy and development of secondary breast cancer was shorter for the pregnant women (14.8 vs. 23.2 years; p < 0.05). This further supports the idea that there is an association between the effects of radiation around the time of pregnancy and breast cancer development. The small sample size of this study is a concern; however, the results indicate a potentially important relationship between radiation treatment during pregnancy and an increased risk of secondary breast cancer that warrants further studies. [11/22/2002; International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics] Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.