Leukemia following radiotherapy for uterine bleeding

Journal Article · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Radiation Research; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/3577593· OSTI ID:7043199

Inskip, P D; Monson, R R; Wagoner, J K; Stovall, M; Davis, F G; Kleinerman, R A; Boice, Jr, J D ^[1]

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1. Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA (USA)

Mortality due to leukemia among 4483 women treated with radiation to control uterine bleeding between 1925 and 1965 was twice as high as expected based on U.S. population rates (standardized mortality ratio (SMR) = 2.0; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.4 to 2.8). Women were followed for an average of 26.4 years. Relative risk was highest 2 to 5 years after treatment (SMR = 8.1) and among women over 55 years at irradiation (SMR = 5.8). The usual method of treatment was intrauterine radium. Average radiation dose to active bone marrow was estimated on the basis of original radiotherapy records (median, 53 cGy). A linear dose-response model provided an adequate fit to the data. The average excess relative risk was 1.9% per cGy (95% CI: 0.8 to 3.2), and the average absolute risk was 2.6 excess leukemia deaths per million women per year per cGy (95% CI: 0.9 to 4.8). Chronic myeloid leukemia predominated during the first 15 years following exposure, whereas acute leukemias and chronic lymphatic leukemia were most common thereafter. The radiation doses experienced during treatment of benign gynecologic disease appear to result in greater leukemia risk per cGy average marrow dose than the considerably higher doses used to treat malignant disease, perhaps because of a decreased likelihood of killing potentially leukemic cells.

• OSTI ID: 7043199
• Journal Information: Radiation Research; (USA), Journal Name: Radiation Research; (USA) Vol. 122:2; ISSN RAREA; ISSN 0033-7587
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560151* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AGE DEPENDENCE
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
DELAYED RADIATION EFFECTS
DISEASES
DOSES
ELEMENTS
FEMALE GENITALS
HEMIC DISEASES
HEMORRHAGE
IMMUNE SYSTEM DISEASES
LEUKEMIA
MEDICINE
METALS
MORTALITY
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ORGANS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOINDUCTION
RADIOLOGY
RADIOTHERAPY
RADIUM
RISK ASSESSMENT
SIDE EFFECTS
SYMPTOMS
THERAPY
UTERUS