Britain Tracing 5,000 Women at Increased Breast Cancer Risk

Britain's Department of Health is attempting to trace 5,000 women who may have an increased risk of breast cancer as a result of receiving radiotherapy treatment for Hodgkin's disease.

The treatment, supradiaphragmatic radiotherapy, involves irradiating the neck, breast area and armpits of affected women and has been used since 1962. Up to one in three women treated in childhood, and one in four who received it as a young adult, develop breast cancer within 25 years, according to researchers.

The Department of Health said it is trying to contact the women who have been treated with supradiaphragmatic radiotherapy to offer them regular breast cancer screening.

"Without radiotherapy many of these patients would have died," said Professor Mike Richards, the National Cancer Director. "However, 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."

Other Sources: The Independent