Breast Cancer: Risk Associated with Childhood Cancer Survivors
Welcome to this month’s Breast Health e-Newsletter. Our topic:
childhood cancer survivors need earlier screening mammograms.
Experts say female childhood cancer survivors who have had
radiation in the past should get mammograms earlier than the
general population of women. Studies show that almost half of
female childhood cancer survivors under the age of 40 who had
chest radiation as part of their treatment aren’t using this
advice. As a result, study authors recommend better compliance
with screening mammograms. Results of the study were reported in
the Journal of the American Medical Association. Based on the
study, the risk of breast cancer begins as soon as eight years
after radiation treatment ends. Doctors suggest starting
screening mammograms at age 25, or eight years after the last
radiation treatment, whichever comes last. These guidelines are
in place because women who have had chest radiation as children,
or young adults, have a greate