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Objectives: To evaluate the long term risks of invasive breast cancer and death related to breast cancer after non-screen detected ductal carcinoma in situ. Risks for women in the general population and for women diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ via the screening programme were compared., Design: Population based cohort study., Setting: Data from the National Disease Registration Service., Participants: All 27 543 women in England who were diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ, outside the NHS breast screening programme, during 1990 to 2018., Main Outcome Measures: Incident invasive breast cancer and death caused by breast cancer., Results: By 31 December 2018, 3651 women with non-screen detected ductal carcinoma in situ had developed invasive breast cancer, more than four times higher than expected from national cancer incidence rates (ratio of observed to expected rate was 4.21 (95% conference interval 4.07 to 4.35)). The ratio of observed to expected rate of developing invasive breast cancer remained increased throughout follow-up among women aged <45-70 years. The 25 year cumulative risks of invasive breast cancer by age at diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ were 27.3% for <45 years, 25.2% for 45-49 years, 21.7% for 50-59 years, and 20.8% for 60-70 years. 908 women died of breast cancer, almost four times higher than that expected from breast cancer death rates in the general population (ratio of observed to expected rate 3.83 (3.59 to 4.09)). The ratio of observed to expected rate of mortality attributed to breast cancer remained increased throughout follow-up. The 25 year cumulative risks of breast cancer death by age at ductal carcinoma in situ diagnosis were 7.6% for <45 years, 5.8% for 45-49 years, 5.9% for 50-59 years, and 6.2% for 60-70 years. Among women aged 50-64 years, and therefore eligible for breast screening by the NHS, the ratio of observed to expected rate of invasive breast cancer in women with non-screen detected compared with screen detected ductal carcinoma in situ was 1.26 (95% conference interval 1.17 to 1.35), while the ratio for mortality from breast cancer was 1.37 (1.17 to 1.60). Among 22 753 women with unilateral ductal carcinoma in situ undergoing surgery, those who had mastectomy rather than breast conserving surgery had a lower 25 year cumulative rate of ipsilateral invasive breast cancer (mastectomy 8.2% (95% conference interval 7.0% to 9.4%), breast conserving surgery with radiotherapy 19.8% (16.2% to 23.4%), and breast conserving surgery with no radiotherapy recorded 20.6% (18.7% to 22.4%)). However, reductions did not translate into a lower 25 year cumulative rate of deaths attributable to breast cancer (mastectomy 6.5% (4.9% to 10.9%), breast conserving surgery with radiotherapy 8.6% (5.9% to 15.5%), breast conserving surgery with no radiotherapy recorded 7.8% (6.3% to 11.5%))., Conclusions: For at least 25 years after their diagnosis, women with non-screen detected ductal carcinoma in situ had higher long term risks of invasive breast cancer and breast cancer death than women in the general population. Additionally, they had higher long term risks than women with screen detected ductal carcinoma in situ. Mastectomy was associated with lower risks of invasive breast cancer than breast conserving surgery, even when accompanied by radiotherapy. However, risks of breast cancer death appeared similar for mastectomy, breast conserving surgery with radiotherapy, and breast conserving surgery with no radiotherapy recorded., Competing Interests: Competing interests: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form at www.icmje.org/disclosure-of-interest and declare: funding from Cancer Research UK, Cancer Research UK Clinician Scientist Fellowship, the National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, and the University of Oxford; no support from any organisation for the submitted work other than salaries from their employing institutions and the funding listed in the section above; no financial relationships with any organisations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous three years; and no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: There is substantial evidence that systemic anticancer therapies and radiotherapy can increase the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Optimal management decisions for cancer patients therefore need to take into account the likely risks from a proposed treatment option, as well as its likely benefits. For CVD, the magnitude of the risk depends on the incidence of the disease in the general population to which the patient belongs, including variation with age and sex, as well as on the treatment option under consideration. The aim of this paper is to provide estimates of CVD incidence rates in the general population of England for use in cardio-oncology and in other relevant clinical, research and health policy contexts., Methods: We studied a population-based representative cohort, consisting of 2,633,472 individuals, derived by electronic linkage of records from primary care with those of admitted-patient care in England during April 1, 2010, to April 1, 2015. From 38 individual CVDs available via the linked dataset we identified five relevant categories of CVD whose risk may be increased by cancer treatments: four of heart disease and one of stroke., Results: We calculated incidence rates by age-group and sex for all relevant CVD categories combined, for the four relevant categories of heart disease combined, and for the five relevant CVD categories separately. We present separate incidence rates for all 38 individual CVDs available via the linked dataset. We also illustrate how our data can be used to estimate absolute CVD risks in a range of people with Hodgkin lymphoma treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy., Conclusions: Our results provide population-based CVD incidence rates for a variety of uses, including the estimation of absolute risks of CVD from cancer treatments, thus helping patients and clinicians to make appropriate individualized cancer treatment decisions. Graphical Abstract: Cardiovascular incidence rates for use in cardio-oncology and elsewhere: A presentation of age- and sex-specific cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence rates for use in calculation of absolute cardiovascular risks of cancer treatments, and in other clinical, research and health policy contexts. Abbreviations - CVD: cardiovascular disease; y: years., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Adjuvant proton beam therapy (PBT) is increasingly available to patients with breast cancer. It achieves better planned dose distributions than standard photon radiation therapy and therefore may reduce the risks. However, clinical evidence is lacking., Methods and Materials: A systematic review of clinical outcomes from studies of adjuvant PBT for early breast cancer published in 2000 to 2022 was undertaken. Early breast cancer was defined as when all detected invasive cancer cells are in the breast or nearby lymph nodes and can be removed surgically. Adverse outcomes were summarized quantitatively, and the prevalence of the most common ones were estimated using meta-analysis., Results: Thirty-two studies (1452 patients) reported clinical outcomes after adjuvant PBT for early breast cancer. Median follow-up ranged from 2 to 59 months. There were no published randomized trials comparing PBT with photon radiation therapy. Scattering PBT was delivered in 7 studies (258 patients) starting 2003 to 2015 and scanning PBT in 22 studies (1041 patients) starting 2000 to 2019. Two studies (123 patients) starting 2011 used both PBT types. For 1 study (30 patients), PBT type was unspecified. Adverse events were less severe after scanning than after scattering PBT. They also varied by clinical target. For partial breast PBT, 498 adverse events were reported (8 studies, 358 patients). None were categorized as severe after scanning PBT. For whole breast or chest wall ± regional lymph nodes PBT, 1344 adverse events were reported (19 studies, 933 patients). After scanning PBT, 4% (44/1026) of events were severe. The most prevalent severe outcome after scanning PBT was dermatitis, which occurred in 5.7% (95% confidence interval, 4.2-7.6) of patients. Other severe adverse outcomes included infection, pain, and pneumonitis (each ≤1%). Of the 141 reconstruction events reported (13 studies, 459 patients), the most prevalent after scanning PBT was prosthetic implant removal (34/181, 19%)., Conclusions: This is a quantitative summary of all published clinical outcomes after adjuvant PBT for early breast cancer. Ongoing randomized trials will provide information on its longer-term safety compared with standard photon radiation therapy., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The percentage of cells staining positive for Ki67 is sometimes used for decision-making in patients with early invasive breast cancer (IBC). However, there is uncertainty regarding the most appropriate Ki67 cut points and the influence of interlaboratory measurement variability. We examined the relationship between breast cancer mortality and Ki67 both before and after accounting for interlaboratory variability and 8 patient and tumor characteristics., Methods: A multicenter cohort study of women with early IBC diagnosed during 2009-2016 in more than 20 NHS hospitals in England and followed until December 31, 2020., Results: Ki67 was strongly prognostic of breast cancer mortality in 8212 women with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative early IBC (Ptrend < .001). This relationship remained strong after adjustment for patient and tumor characteristics (Ptrend < .001). Standardization for interlaboratory variability did little to alter these results. For women with Ki67 scores of 0%-5%, 6%-10%, 11%-19%, and 20%-29% the corresponding 8-year adjusted cumulative breast cancer mortality risks were 3.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.8% to 4.0%), 3.7% (95% CI = 3.0% to 4.4%), 3.4% (95% CI = 2.8% to 4.1%), and 3.4% (95% CI = 2.8% to 4.1%), whereas for women with Ki67 scores of 30%-39% and 40%-100%, these risks were higher, at 5.1% (95% CI = 4.3% to 6.2%) and 7.7% (95% CI = 6.6% to 9.1) (Ptrend < .001). Similar results were obtained when the adjusted analysis was repeated with omission of pathological information about tumor size and nodal involvement, which would not be available preoperatively for patients being considered for neoadjuvant therapy., Conclusion: Our findings confirm the prognostic value of Ki67 scores of 30% or more in women with ER-positive, HER2-negative early IBC, irrespective of interlaboratory variability. These results also suggest that Ki67 may be useful to aid decision-making in the neoadjuvant setting., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press.)

Background: Several studies report increases in the incidences of primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors. The reasons for this are unclear., Methods: Data on all 188 340 individuals diagnosed with a primary CNS tumor in England (1993-2017) were obtained from the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service. Data on all computerized tomography (CT) head and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans in England (2013-2017) were obtained from the National Health Service Digital. Age-sex-standardized annual incidence rates per 100 000 population (ASR) were calculated by calendar year, tumor behavior, tumor location, and method of diagnosis. Temporal trends were quantified using average annual percent change (AAPC)., Results: The ASR for all CNS tumors increased from 13.0 in 1993 to 18.6 in 2017 (AAPC: +1.5%, 95% CI: 1.3, 1.7). The ASR for malignant tumors (52% overall) remained stable (AAPC: +0.5%, 95% CI: -0.2, 1.3), while benign tumors (37% overall) increased (AAPC: +2.6%, 95% CI: 1.2, 4.0). Among the 66% of benign tumors that were microscopically confirmed, the ASR increased modestly (AAPC: +1.3%, 95% CI: 0.5, 2.1). However, among the 25% of benign tumors that were radiographically confirmed, the ASR increased substantially (AAPC: 10.2%, 95% CI: 7.9, 12.5), principally driven by large increases in those who are aged 65+ years. The rate of CT head scans in Accident & Emergency (A&E) increased during 2013-2017, with especially large increases in 65-84 and 85+-year-olds (AAPCs: +18.4% and +22.5%)., Conclusions: Increases in CNS tumor incidence in England are largely attributable to the greater detection of benign tumors. This could be the result of the increasing use of neuroimaging, particularly CT head scans in A&E in people who are aged 65+ years., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology.)

Importance: Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survivors have higher rates of colorectal cancer, which may be associated with subdiaphragmatic radiation therapy and/or alkylating chemotherapy. Although radiation dose-response associations with breast, lung, stomach, pancreatic, and esophageal cancer after HL have been demonstrated, the association of radiation therapy with colorectal cancer remains unclear., Objective: To quantify the rate of colorectal cancer according to radiation dose to the large bowel and procarbazine dose among HL survivors., Design, Setting, and Participants: A nested case-control study examined 5-year HL survivors at 5 hospital centers in the Netherlands. Participants had been diagnosed with HL in 1964 to 2000, when they were 15 to 50 years of age, and were followed for a median of approximately 26 years. Survivors of HL who developed colorectal cancer and survivors who were selected as controls were individually matched on sex, age at HL diagnosis, and date of HL diagnosis. Data were analyzed from July 2021 to October 2022., Exposures: Mean radiation doses to the large bowel were estimated by reconstructing individual radiation therapy treatments on representative computed tomography data sets., Main Outcomes and Measures: Excess rate ratios (ERRs) were modeled to evaluate the excess risk associated with each 1-gray increase in radiation dose, and potential effect modification by procarbazine was explored., Results: The study population included 316 participants (mean [SD] age at HL diagnosis, 33.0 [9.8] years; 221 [69.9%] men), 78 of whom were HL survivors who developed colorectal cancer (cases) and 238 who did not (controls). The median (IQR) interval between HL and colorectal cancer was 25.7 (18.2-31.6) years. Increased colorectal cancer rates were seen for patients who received subdiaphragmatic radiation therapy (rate ratio [RR], 2.4; 95% CI, 1.4-4.1) and those who received more than 8.4 g/m2 procarbazine (RR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.3-5.0). Overall, colorectal cancer rate increased linearly with mean radiation dose to the whole large bowel and dose to the affected bowel segment. The association between radiation dose and colorectal cancer rate became stronger with increasing procarbazine dose: the ERR per gray to the whole bowel was 3.5% (95% CI, 0.4%-12.6%) for patients who did not receive procarbazine, and increased 1.2-fold (95% CI, 1.1-1.3) for each 1-g/m2 increase in procarbazine dose., Conclusions and Relevance: This nested case-control study of 5-year HL survivors found a dose-response association between radiation therapy and colorectal cancer risk, and modification of this association by procarbazine. These findings may enable individualized colorectal cancer risk estimations, identification of high-risk survivors for subsequent screening, and optimization of treatment strategies.

Purpose: To describe cardiac exposure from breast cancer radiotherapy regimens used during 1970-2009 for the development of dose-response relationships and to consider the associated radiation-risks using existing dose-response relationships., Material and Methods: Radiotherapy charts for 771 women in the Netherlands selected for case control studies of heart disease after breast cancer radiotherapy were used to reconstruct 44 regimens on a typical CT-dataset. Doses were estimated for the whole heart (WH), left ventricle (LV) and cardiac valves., Results: For breast/chest wall radiotherapy average WH doses decreased during 1970-2009. For internal mammary chain (IMC) radiotherapy WH doses were highest during the 1980s and 1990s when direct anterior fields were used and reduced in the 2000s when oblique fields were introduced. Average doses varied substantially for IMC regimens (WH 2-33 Gy, LV < 1-23 Gy). For cardiac valves, at least one valve received >30 Gy from most regimens., Conclusions: Radiation-risks of IHD from breast/chest wall regimens likely reduced during 1970-2009. Direct anterior IMC regimens likely increased the risks of IHD and VHD over this time period but the use of oblique IMC fields from 2003 may have lowered these risks. These data provide a unique opportunity to develop dose-response relationships., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Dr. Warren reports non-financial support from Raystation UK Users Meeting May 2019, outside the submitted work., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Background: Adjuvant and neoadjuvant breast cancer treatments can reduce breast cancer mortality but may increase mortality from other causes. Information regarding treatment benefits and risks is scattered widely through the literature. To inform clinical practice we collated and reviewed the highest quality evidence., Methods: Guidelines were searched to identify adjuvant or neoadjuvant treatment options recommended in early invasive breast cancer. For each option, systematic literature searches identified the highest-ranking evidence. For radiotherapy risks, searches for dose-response relationships and modern organ doses were also undertaken., Results: Treatment options recommended in the USA and elsewhere included chemotherapy (anthracycline, taxane, platinum, capecitabine), anti-human epidermal growth factor 2 therapy (trastuzumab, pertuzumab, trastuzumab emtansine, neratinib), endocrine therapy (tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitor, ovarian ablation/suppression) and bisphosphonates. Radiotherapy options were after breast conserving surgery (whole breast, partial breast, tumour bed boost, regional nodes) and after mastectomy (chest wall, regional nodes). Treatment options were supported by randomised evidence, including > 10,000 women for eight treatment comparisons, 1,000-10,000 for fifteen and < 1,000 for one. Most treatment comparisons reduced breast cancer mortality or recurrence by 10-25%, with no increase in non-breast-cancer death. Anthracycline chemotherapy and radiotherapy increased overall non-breast-cancer mortality. Anthracycline risk was from heart disease and leukaemia. Radiation-risks were mainly from heart disease, lung cancer and oesophageal cancer, and increased with increasing heart, lung and oesophagus radiation doses respectively. Taxanes increased leukaemia risk., Conclusions: These benefits and risks inform treatment decisions for individuals and recommendations for groups of women., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: In some patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), proton beam therapy (PBT) may reduce the risk of radiation-related cardiovascular disease (CVD) and second cancers (SC) compared with photon radiation therapy (RT). Our aim was to identify patients who benefit the most from PBT in terms of predicted 30-year absolute mortality risks (AMR 30 ) from CVD and SC, taking into account individual background, chemotherapy, radiation, and smoking-related risks., Methods and Materials: Eighty patients with supradiaphragmatic HL treated with PBT between 2015 and 2019 were replanned using optimal photon RT. To identify patients predicted to derive the greatest benefit from PBT compared with photon RT, doses and AMR 30 from CVD and SC of the lung, breast, and esophagus were compared for all patients and across patient subgroups., Results: For patients with mediastinal disease below the origin of the left main coronary artery (n = 66; 82%), PBT reduced the mean dose to the heart, left ventricle, and heart valves by 1.0, 2.7, and 3.6 Gy, respectively. Based on U.S. mortality rates, PBT reduced CVD AMR 30 by 0.2%, from 5.9% to 5.7%. The benefit was larger if the mediastinal disease overlapped longitudinally with the heart by ≥40% (n = 23; 29%). PBT reduced the mean dose to the heart, left ventricle, and heart valves by 3.2, 5.6, and 5.1 Gy, respectively, and reduced CVD AMR 30 by 0.8%, from 7.0% to 6.2%. For patients with axillary disease (n = 25; 31%), PBT reduced the mean lung dose by 2.8 Gy and lung cancer AMR 30 by 0.6%, from 2.7% to 2.1%. Breast and esophageal doses were also lower with PBT, but the effects on AMR 30 were negligible. The effect of smoking on CVD and lung cancer AMR 30 was much larger than radiation and chemotherapy and the differences between radiation modalities., Conclusions: The predicted benefit of PBT is not universal and limited to certain categories of patients with lymphoma and lower mediastinal or axillary disease. Smoking cessation should be strongly encouraged in smokers who require thoracic RT., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The contemporary management of early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma (ES-HL) involves balancing the risk of late adverse effects of radiotherapy against the increased risk of relapse if radiotherapy is omitted. This study provides information on the risk of radiation-related cardiovascular disease to help personalize the delivery of radiotherapy in ES-HL., Methods: We predicted 30-year absolute cardiovascular risk from chemotherapy and involved field radiotherapy in patients who were positron emission tomography (PET)-negative following three cycles of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine chemotherapy within a UK randomized trial of PET-directed therapy for ES-HL. Cardiac and carotid radiation doses and chemotherapy exposure were combined with established dose-response relationships and population-based mortality and incidence rates., Results: Average mean heart dose was 4.0 Gy (range 0.1-24.0 Gy) and average bilateral common carotid artery dose was 21.5 Gy (range 0.6-38.1 Gy), based on individualized cardiovascular dosimetry for 144 PET-negative patients receiving involved field radiotherapy. The average predicted 30-year radiation-related absolute excess overall cardiovascular mortality was 0.56% (range 0.01%-6.79%; < 0.5% in 67% of patients and > 1% in 15%), whereas average predicted 30-year excess incidence was 6.24% (range 0.31%-31.09%; < 5% in 58% of patients and > 10% in 24%). For cardiac disease, the average predicted 30-year radiation-related absolute excess mortality was 0.42% (0.79% with mediastinal involvement and 0.05% without) and for stroke, it was 0.14%., Conclusion: Predicted excess cardiovascular risk is small for most patients, so radiotherapy may provide net benefit. However, for a minority of patients receiving high doses of radiation to cardiovascular structures, it may be preferable to consider advanced radiotherapy techniques to reduce doses or to omit radiotherapy and accept the increased relapse risk. Individual assessment of cardiovascular and other risks before treatment would allow personalized decision making about radiotherapy in ES-HL., Competing Interests: Johanna RamrothEmployment: Gilead Sciences (I)Stock and Other Ownership Interests: Gilead Sciences Laura Clifton-HadleyResearch Funding: Various pharmaceutical companies Peter J. HoskinResearch Funding: Varian Medical Systems, Astellas Pharma, Bayer, Roche, Pfizer, Elekta John RadfordStock and Other Ownership Interests: AstraZeneca, ADC TherapeuticsHonoraria: Takeda, ADC TherapeuticsConsulting or Advisory Role: Takeda, Seattle Genetics, NovartisSpeakers' Bureau: Takeda, Seattle Genetics, NovartisResearch Funding: TakedaTravel, Accommodations, Expenses: Takeda, ADC Therapeutics Tim IllidgeConsulting or Advisory Role: Takeda, Nordic NanovectorSpeakers' Bureau: Takeda, Bristol Myers Squibb, RocheResearch Funding: AstraZeneca/MedImmune, MSD OncologyTravel, Accommodations, Expenses: RocheNo other potential conflicts of interest were reported.

Background and Purpose: Breast cancer radiotherapy can increase the risk of subsequent primary oesophageal cancer, with risk increasing according to oesophagus radiation dose. We describe oesophagus exposure from modern breast cancer regimens and discuss the risks of oesophageal cancer for women irradiated recently., Materials and Methods: A systematic review was undertaken of oesophagus doses from breast cancer radiotherapy regimens published during 2010-2020. Mean and maximum oesophagus doses were described for different target regions irradiated and different radiotherapy techniques., Results: In 112 published regimens from 18 countries, oesophagus doses varied with target region. For partial breast irradiation, average mean oesophagus dose was 0.2 Gy (range 0.1-0.4) in four regimens; maximum dose was not reported. For breast or chest wall radiotherapy, average oesophagus doses were mean 1.8 Gy (range 0.1-10.4) in 24 regimens and maximum 6.7 Gy (range 0.4-14.3) in seven regimens. For radiotherapy including a nodal region, average oesophagus doses were higher: mean 11.4 Gy (range <0.1-29.3) in 61 regimens and maximum 34.4 Gy (range 3.4-51.3) in 55 regimens. Average mean oesophagus doses were >10 Gy for intensity modulated nodal radiotherapy, but lower for other node techniques., Conclusions: Mean oesophagus doses from partial breast and breast/chest wall regimens were usually less than 2 Gy, hence radiation-risks will be very small. However, for radiotherapy including lymph nodes, average mean oesophagus dose of 11.4 Gy may nearly double oesophageal cancer risk. Consideration of oesophageal exposure during nodal radiotherapy planning may reduce the risks of radiation-related oesophageal cancer for women irradiated today., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest None., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose: Radiation-related heart disease (RRHD) can occur many decades after thoracic radiotherapy for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) or childhood cancer (CC). To quantify the likely risk of RRHD for patients treated today, dose-response relationships derived from patients treated in previous decades are used. Publications presenting these dose-response relationships usually include estimates of uncertainties in the risks but ignore the effect of uncertainties in the reconstructed cardiac doses., Materials/methods: We assessed the systematic and random uncertainties in the reconstructed doses for published dose-response relationships for RRHD risk in survivors of HL or CC. Using the same reconstruction methods as were used in the original publications, we reconstructed mean heart doses and, wherever possible, mean left-ventricular doses for an independent case-series of test patients. These patients had known, CT-based, cardiac doses which were compared with the reconstructed doses to estimate the magnitude of the uncertainties and their effect on the dose-response relationships., Results: For all five reconstruction methods the relationship between reconstructed and CT-based doses was linear. For all but the simplest reconstruction method, the dose uncertainties were moderate, the effect of the systematic uncertainty on the dose-response relationships was less than 10%, and the effects of random uncertainty were small except at the highest doses., Conclusions: These results increase confidence in the published dose-response relationships for the risk of RRHD in HL and CC survivors. This may encourage doctors to use these dose-response relationships when estimating individualised risks for patients-an important aspect of personalising radiotherapy treatments today., (Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Comparisons of patients receiving different cancer treatments reflect the effects of both treatment and patient selection. In breast cancer, however, if radiotherapy decisions are unrelated to laterality, comparisons of left-sided and right-sided cancers can demonstrate the causal effects of higher-versus-lower cardiac radiation dose. Cardiac mortality was analysed using individual patient data for 1,934,248 women with breast cancer in 22 countries. The median date of diagnosis was 1996 and the interquartile range was 1987-2002. A total of 1,018,505 women were recorded as irradiated, 223,077 as receiving chemotherapy, 317,619 as receiving endocrine therapy and 55,264 died of cardiac disease. Analyses were stratified by time since breast cancer diagnosis, age at diagnosis, calendar year of diagnosis and country. Patient-selection effects were evident for all three treatments. For radiotherapy, there was also evidence of selection according to laterality in women irradiated 1990 or later. In patients irradiated before 1990, there was no such selection and cardiac mortality was higher in left-sided than right-sided cancer (rate ratio [RR]: 1.13, 95% confidence interval 1.09-1.17). Left-versus-right cardiac mortality RRs were greater among younger women (1.46, 1.19, 1.20, 1.09 and 1.08 after cancer diagnoses at ages <40, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70+ years, 2p trend =0.003). Left-versus-right RRs also increased with time since cancer diagnosis (1.03, 1.11, 1.19 and 1.21 during 0-4, 5-14, 15-24 and 25+ years, 2p trend =0.002) while for women who also received chemotherapy, the left-versus-right RR was 1.42 (95% confidence interval 1.13-1.77), compared to 1.10 (1.05-1.16) for women who did not (2p difference = 0.03). These results show that the relative increase in cardiac mortality from cardiac exposure during breast cancer radiotherapy given in the past was greater in younger women, lasted into the third decade after exposure and was greater when chemotherapy was also given., (© 2020 The Authors. International Journal of Cancer published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of UICC.)

Background: We aimed to develop dose-response relationships for heart failure (HF) following radiation and anthracyclines in breast cancer treatment, and to assess HF associations with trastuzumab and endocrine therapies., Methods and Results: A case-control study was performed within a cohort of breast cancer survivors treated during 1980-2009. Cases (n = 102) had HF as first cardiovascular diagnosis and were matched 1:3 on age and date of diagnosis. Individual cardiac radiation doses were estimated, and anthracycline doses and use of trastuzumab and endocrine therapy were abstracted from oncology notes. For HF cases who received radiotherapy, the estimated median mean heart dose (MHD) was 6.8 Gy [interquartile range (IQR) 0.9-13.7]. MHD was not associated with HF risk overall [excess rate ratio (ERR) = 1%/Gy, 95% confidence interval (CI) -2 to 10]. In patients treated with anthracyclines, exposure of ≥20% of the heart to ≥20 Gy was associated with a rate ratio of 5.7 (95% CI 1.7-21.7) compared to <10% exposed to ≥20 Gy. For cases who received radiotherapy, median cumulative anthracycline dose was 247 mg/m 2 (IQR 240-319). A dose-dependent increase was observed after anthracycline without trastuzumab (ERR = 1.5% per mg/m 2 , 95% CI 0.5-4.1). After anthracycline and trastuzumab, the rate ratio was 34.9 (95% CI 11.1-110.1) compared to no chemotherapy., Conclusions: In absence of anthracyclines, breast cancer radiotherapy was not associated with increased HF risk. Strongly elevated HF risks were observed after treatment with anthracyclines and also after treatment with trastuzumab. The benefits of these systemic treatments usually exceed the risks of HF, but our results emphasize the need to support ongoing efforts to evaluate preventative strategies., (© 2019 The Authors. European Journal of Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society of Cardiology.)

Purpose: The future of non-operative management of DCIS relies on distinguishing lesions requiring treatment from those needing only active surveillance. More accurate preoperative staging and grading of DCIS would be helpful. We identified determinants of upstaging preoperative breast biopsies showing ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) to invasive breast cancer (IBC), or of upgrading them to higher-grade DCIS, following examination of the surgically excised specimen., Methods: We studied all women with DCIS at preoperative biopsy in a large specialist cancer centre during 2000-2014. Information from clinical records, mammography, and pathology specimens from both preoperative biopsy and excised specimen were abstracted. Women suspected of having IBC during biopsy were excluded., Results: Among 606 preoperative biopsies showing DCIS, 15.0% (95% confidence interval 12.3-18.1) were upstaged to IBC and a further 14.6% (11.3-18.4) upgraded to higher-grade DCIS. The risk of upstaging increased with presence of a palpable lump (21.1% vs 13.0%, p difference  = 0.04), while the risk of upgrading increased with presence of necrosis on biopsy (33.0% vs 9.5%, p difference  < 0.001) and with use of 14G core-needle rather than 9G vacuum-assisted biopsy (22.8% vs 7.0%, p difference  < 0.001). Larger mammographic size increased the risk of both upgrading (p heterogeneity  = 0.01) and upstaging (p heterogeneity  = 0.004)., Conclusions: The risk of upstaging of DCIS in preoperative biopsies is lower than previously estimated and justifies conducting randomized clinical trials testing the safety of active surveillance for lower grade DCIS. Selection of women with low grade DCIS for such trials, or for active surveillance, may be improved by consideration of the additional factors identified in this study.

Introduction: National cancer registration data were linked to the Primary Care Prescription Database (PCPD) in England. The level of endocrine therapy (ET) prescribed in women after a diagnosis of breast cancer was studied., Materials and Methods: Cancer registrations for women diagnosed with breast cancer during 1995-2015, who survived to 31st March 2015, were linked to ET prescriptions issued during April-July 2015., Results: Among 369 277 survivors of breast cancer diagnosed during 1995-2015, 37% were prescribed ET during April-July 2015. Among women whose breast cancer diagnosis was after 31st July 2010, 81% of those recorded with oestrogen receptor positive (ER+ve) disease were prescribed ET compared with only 6% of those with ER-ve disease. Younger women usually received tamoxifen and older women usually received aromatase inhibitors., Discussion: The pattern of ET use observed in these data corresponds to that expected. This provides confidence in the potential of the PCPD for epidemiological research., (Crown Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Evidence has emerged that internal mammary chain (IMC) radiotherapy reduces breast cancer mortality, leading to changes in treatment guidelines. This study investigated current IMC radiotherapy criteria and the percentages of patients irradiated for breast cancer in England who fulfilled them., Materials and Methods: A systematic search was undertaken for national guidelines published in English during 2013-2018 presenting criteria for 'consideration of' or 'recommendation for' IMC radiotherapy. Patient and tumour variables were collected for patients who received breast cancer radiotherapy in England during 2012-2016. The percentages of patients fulfilling criteria stipulated in each set of guidelines were calculated., Results: In total, 111 729 women were recorded as receiving adjuvant breast cancer radiotherapy in England during 2012-2016 and full data were available on 48 095 of them. Percentages of patients fulfilling IMC radiotherapy criteria in various national guidelines were: UK Royal College of Radiologists 13% (6035/48 095), UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence 18% (8816/48 095), Germany 32% (15 646/48 095), Ireland 56% (26 846/48 095) and USA 59% (28 373/48 095). Differences between countries occurred because in Ireland and the USA, treatment may be considered in some node-negative patients, whereas in the UK, treatment is considered if at least four axillary nodes are involved or for high-risk patients with one to three positive nodes. In Germany, treatment may be considered for all node-positive patients., Conclusions: There is substantial variability between countries in criteria for consideration of IMC radiotherapy, despite guidelines being based on the same evidence. This will probably lead to large variations in practice and resource needs worldwide., (Copyright © 2019 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Incidental cardiac exposure during radiation therapy may cause heart disease. Dose-response relationships for cardiac structures (segments) may show which ones are most sensitive to radiation. Radiation-related cardiac injury can take years to develop; thus, studies need to involve women treated using 2-dimensional planning, with segment doses estimated using a typical computed tomography (CT) scan. We assessed whether such segment doses are accurate enough to use in dose-response relationships using the radiation therapy charts of women with known segment injury. We estimated interregimen and interpatient segment dose variability and segment dose correlations., Methods and Materials: The radiation therapy charts of 470 women with cardiac segment injury after breast cancer radiation therapy were examined, and 41 regimens were identified. Regimens were reconstructed on a typical CT scan. Doses were estimated for 5 left ventricle (LV) and 10 coronary artery segments. Correlations between cardiac segments were estimated. Interpatient dose variation was assessed in 10 randomly selected CT scans for left regimens and in 5 for right regimens., Results: For the typical CT scan, interregimen segment dose variation was substantial (range, LV segments <1-39 Gy; coronary artery segments <1-48 Gy). In 10 CT scans, interpatient segment dose variation was higher for segments near field borders (range, 3-47 Gy) than other segments (range, <2 Gy). Doses to different left-anterior descending coronary artery (LADCA) segments were highly correlated with each other, as were doses to different LV segments. Also, LADCA segment doses were highly correlated with doses to LV segments usually supplied by the LADCA. For individual regimens there was consistency in hotspot location and segment ranking of higher-versus-lower dose., Conclusions: The scope for developing quantitative cardiac segment dose-response relationships in patients who had 2-dimensional planning is limited because different segment doses are often highly correlated, and segment-specific dose uncertainties are not independent of each other. However, segment-specific doses may be reliably used to rank segments according to higher-versus-lower doses., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Radiation therapy (RT) improves control of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), but patients who undergo RT are at risk for late effects, including cardiovascular disease and second cancers, because of radiation doses to organs at risk (OARs). Proton therapy (PT) can reduce OAR doses compared with conventional photon RT. However, access to PT is currently limited, so referrals must be appropriately selective. We aimed to identify subgroups of patients with HL who could benefit the most dosimetrically from RT with PT based on the prechemotherapy disease characteristics., Methods and Materials: Normal tissue radiation doses were calculated for 21 patients with HL who were treated with deep-inspiration breath-hold pencil-beam scanning (PBS) PT and compared with doses from 3-dimensional conformal (3D-CRT) and partial arc volumetric modulated (PartArc) photon RT. Prechemotherapy disease characteristics associated with significant dosimetric benefits from PBS compared with photon RT were identified., Results: Treatment with PBS was well tolerated and provided with good local control. PBS provided dosimetric advantages for patients whose clinical treatment volume extended below the seventh thoracic level and for female patients with axillary disease. In addition, an increasing dosimetric benefit for some OARs was observed for increasing target volume. PBS significantly reduced the mean dose to the heart, breast, lungs, spinal cord, and esophagus. Dose homogeneity and conformity within the target volume were also superior with PBS, but some high-dose measures and hot spots were increased with PBS compared with partial arc volumetric modulated photon RT., Conclusions: PBS gives good target coverage and local control while providing reductions in radiation dose to OARs for individuals who receive RT for HL compared with advanced photon RT. Our findings highlight groups of patients who would be expected to gain more dosimetric benefit from PBS. These findings facilitate the selection of patients who should be considered a priority for PT., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Previous reports suggest that radiation therapy for breast cancer (BC) can cause ischemic heart disease, with the radiation-related risk increasing linearly with mean whole heart dose (MWHD). This study aimed to validate these findings in younger BC patients and to investigate additional risk factors for radiation-related myocardial infarction (MI)., Methods and Materials: A nested case-control study was conducted within a cohort of BC survivors treated during 1970 to 2009. Cases were 183 patients with MI as their first heart disease after BC. One control per case was selected and matched on age and BC diagnosis date. Information on treatment and cardiovascular risk factors was abstracted from medical and radiation charts. Cardiac doses were estimated for each woman by reconstructing her regimen using modern 3-dimensional computed tomography planning on a typical patient computed tomography scan., Results: Median age at BC of cases and controls was 50.2 years (interquartile range, 45.7-54.7). Median time to MI was 13.6 years (interquartile range, 9.9-18.1). Median MWHD was 8.9 Gy (range, 0.3-35.2 Gy). MI rate increased linearly with increasing MWHD (excess rate ratio [ERR] per Gy, 6.4%; 95% confidence interval, 1.3%-16.0%). Patients receiving ≥20 Gy MWHD had a 3.4-fold (95% confidence interval, 1.5-7.6) higher MI rate than unirradiated patients. ERRs were higher for younger women, with borderline significance (ERR <45years , 24.2%/Gy; ERR ≥50years , 2.5%/Gy; P interaction  = .054). Whole heart dose-volume parameters did not modify the dose-response relationship significantly., Conclusions: MI rate after radiation for BC increases linearly with MWHD. Reductions in MWHD are expected to contribute to better cardiovascular health of BC survivors., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Improved breast cancer (BC) survival and evidence showing beneficial effects of internal mammary chain (IMC) irradiation underscore the importance of studying late cardiovascular effects of BC treatment., Methods: We assessed cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence in 14,645 Dutch BC patients aged <62 years, treated during 1970-2009. Analyses included proportional hazards models and general population comparisons., Results: CVD rate-ratio for left-versus-right breast irradiation without IMC was 1.11 (95% CI 0.93-1.32). Compared to right-sided breast irradiation only, IMC irradiation (interquartile range mean heart doses 9-17 Gy) was associated with increases in CVD rate overall, ischaemic heart disease (IHD), heart failure (HF) and valvular heart disease (hazard ratios (HRs): 1.6-2.4). IHD risk remained increased until at least 20 years after treatment. Anthracycline-based chemotherapy was associated with an increased HF rate (HR = 4.18, 95% CI 3.07-5.69), emerging <5 years and remaining increased at least 10-15 years after treatment. IMC irradiation combined with anthracycline-based chemotherapy was associated with substantially increased HF rate (HR = 9.23 95% CI 6.01-14.18), compared to neither IMC irradiation nor anthracycline-based chemotherapy., Conclusions: Women treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy and IMC irradiation (in an older era) with considerable mean heart dose exposure have substantially increased incidence of several CVDs. Screening may be appropriate for some BC patient groups.

Purpose Incidental cardiac irradiation can cause cardiac injury, but little is known about the effect of radiation on specific cardiac segments. Methods For 456 women who received breast cancer radiotherapy between 1958 and 2001 and then later experienced a major coronary event, information was obtained on the radiotherapy regimen they received and on the location of their cardiac injury. For 414 women, all with documented location of left ventricular (LV) injury, doses to five LV segments were estimated. For 133 women, all with documented location of coronary artery disease with ≥ 70% stenosis, doses to six coronary artery segments were estimated. For each segment, numbers of women with left-sided and right-sided breast cancer were compared. Results Of women with LV injury, 243 had left-sided breast cancer and 171 had right-sided breast cancer (ratio of left v right, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.17 to 1.73), reflecting the higher typical LV radiation doses in left-sided cancer (average dose left-sided, 8.3 Gy; average dose right-sided, 0.6 Gy; left minus right dose difference, 7.7 Gy). For individual LV segments, the ratios of women with left- versus right-sided radiotherapy were as follows: inferior, 0.94 (95% CI, 0.70 to 1.25); lateral, 1.42 (95% CI, 1.04 to 1.95); septal, 2.09 (95% CI, 1.37 to 3.19); anterior, 1.85 (95% CI, 1.39 to 2.46); and apex, 4.64 (95% CI, 2.42 to 8.90); corresponding left-minus-right dose differences for these segments were 2.7, 4.9, 7.2, 10.4, and 21.6 Gy, respectively ( P trend < .001). For women with coronary artery disease, the ratios of women with left- versus right-radiotherapy for individual coronary artery segments were as follows: right coronary artery proximal, 0.48 (95% CI, 0.26 to 0.91); right coronary artery mid or distal, 1.69 (95% CI, 0.85 to 3.36); circumflex proximal, 1.46 (95% CI, 0.72 to 2.96); circumflex distal, 1.11 (95% CI, 0.45 to 2.73); left anterior descending proximal, 1.89 (95% CI, 1.07 to 3.34); and left anterior descending mid or distal, 2.33 (95% CI, 1.19 to 4.59); corresponding left-minus-right dose differences for these segements were -5.0, -2.5, 1.6, 3.5, 9.5, and 38.8 Gy ( P trend = .002). Conclusion For individual LV and coronary artery segments, higher radiation doses were strongly associated with more frequent injury, suggesting that all segments are sensitive to radiation and that doses to all segments should be minimized.

Background and Purpose: We report a systematic review of lung radiation doses from breast cancer radiotherapy., Methods and Materials: Studies describing breast cancer radiotherapy regimens published during 2010-2015 and reporting lung dose were included. Doses were compared between different countries, anatomical regions irradiated, techniques and use of breathing adaptation., Results: 471 regimens from 32 countries were identified. The average mean ipsilateral lung dose (MLD ipsi ) was 9.0 Gy. MLD ipsi for supine radiotherapy with no breathing adaption was 8.4 Gy for whole breast/chest wall (WB/CW) radiotherapy, 11.2 Gy when the axilla/supraclavicular fossa was irradiated, and 14.0 Gy with the addition of internal mammary chain irradiation; breathing adaptation reduced MLD ipsi by 1 Gy, 2 Gy and 3 Gy respectively (p < 0.005). For WB/CW radiotherapy, MLD ipsi was lowest for tangents in prone (1.2 Gy) or lateral decubitus (0.8 Gy) positions. The highest MLD ipsi was for IMRT in supine position (9.4 Gy). The average mean contralateral lung dose (MLD cont ) for WB/CW radiotherapy was higher for IMRT (3.0 Gy) than for tangents (0.8 Gy)., Conclusions: Lung doses from breast cancer radiotherapy varied substantially worldwide, even between studies describing similar regimens. Lymph node inclusion and IMRT use increased exposure, while breathing adaptation and prone/lateral decubitus positioning reduced it., (Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In the present study, we report on the full range of physical diseases acquired by survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosed in adolescence or young adulthood. In a Danish nationwide population-based cohort study, 1,768 five-year survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosed at ages 15-39 years during 1943-2004 and 228,447 comparison subjects matched to survivors on age and year of birth were included. Hospital discharge diagnoses and bed-days during 1977-2010 were obtained from the Danish Patient Register for 145 specific disease categories gathered in 14 main diagnostic groups. The analysis was conducted separately on three subcohorts of survivors, that is, survivors diagnosed 1943-1976 for whom we had no information on rehospitalisation for Hodgkin lymphoma and survivors diagnosed 1977-2004, split into a subcohort with no expected relapses and a subcohort for whom a rehospitalisation for Hodgkin lymphoma indicated a relapse. The overall standardised hospitalisation rate ratios (RRs) were 2.0 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.9-2.1], 1.5 (1.4-1.6) and 2.9 (2.6-3.1) respectively, and the corresponding RRs for bed-days were 3.5 (3.4-3.5), 1.8 (1.8-1.9) and 10.4 (10.3-10.6). Highest RRs were seen for nonmalignant haematological conditions (RR: 2.6; 3.1 and 9.7), malignant neoplasms (RR: 3.2; 2.5 and 4.7) and all infections combined (RR: 2.5; 2.2 and 5.3). Survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma in adolescence or young adulthood are at increased risk for a wide range of diseases that require hospitalisation. The risk depends on calendar period of treatment and on whether the survivors were rehospitalised for Hodgkin lymphoma, and thus likely had a relapse., (© 2017 The Authors International Journal of Cancer published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of UICC.)

Background and Purpose: The risk of heart disease subsequent to breast cancer radiotherapy was examined with particular focus on women receiving anthracycline-containing chemotherapy., Material and Methods: Women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in Denmark, 1977-2005, were identified from the register of the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group, as was information on cancer-directed treatment. Information on heart disease was sought from the Danish National Patient and Cause of Death Registries. Incidence rate ratios were estimated comparing left-sided with right-sided cancer (IRR, LvR), stratified by calendar year, age, and time since breast cancer radiotherapy., Results: Among 19,464 women receiving radiotherapy, the IRR, LvR, was 1.11 (95% CI 1.03-1.20, p=0.005) for all heart disease and among those also receiving anthracyclines the IRR, LvR, was 1.32 (95% CI 1.02-1.70, p=0.03). This risk was highest if the treatment was given before the age of 50years (IRR, LvR, 1.44, (95% CI 1.04-2.01) but there was no significant trend with age or time since treatment., Conclusions: Radiotherapy for left-sided breast cancer is associated with a higher risk of heart disease than for right-sided with the largest increases seen in women who also received anthracycline-containing chemotherapy., (Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survivors treated with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy are known to have increased risks of heart failure (HF), but a radiation dose-response relationship has not previously been derived. A case-control study, nested in a cohort of 2617 five-year survivors of HL diagnosed before age 51 years during 1965 to 1995, was conducted. Cases (n = 91) had moderate or severe HF as their first cardiovascular diagnosis. Controls (n = 278) were matched to cases on age, sex, and HL diagnosis date. Treatment and follow-up information were abstracted from medical records. Mean heart doses and mean left ventricular doses (MLVD) were estimated by reconstruction of individual treatments on representative computed tomography datasets. Average MLVD was 16.7 Gy for cases and 13.8 Gy for controls ( P difference = .003). HF rate increased with MLVD: relative to 0 Gy, HF rates following MVLD of 1-15, 16-20, 21-25, and ≥26 Gy were 1.27, 1.65, 3.84, and 4.39, respectively ( P trend < .001). Anthracycline-containing chemotherapy increased HF rate by a factor of 2.83 (95% CI: 1.43-5.59), and there was no significant interaction with MLVD ( P interaction = .09). Twenty-five-year cumulative risks of HF following MLVDs of 0-15 Gy, 16-20 Gy, and ≥21 Gy were 4.4%, 6.2%, and 13.3%, respectively, in patients treated without anthracycline-containing chemotherapy, and 11.2%, 15.9%, and 32.9%, respectively, in patients treated with anthracyclines. We have derived quantitative estimates of HF risk in patients treated for HL following radiotherapy with or without anthracycline-containing chemotherapy. Our results enable estimation of HF risk for patients before treatment, during radiotherapy planning, and during follow-up., (© 2017 by The American Society of Hematology.)

Background and Purpose: The heart is a complex anatomical organ and contouring the cardiac substructures is challenging. This study presents a reproducible method for contouring left ventricular and coronary arterial segments on radiotherapy CT-planning scans., Material and Methods: Segments were defined from cardiology models and agreed by two cardiologists. Reference atlas contours were delineated and written guidelines prepared. Six radiation oncologists tested the atlas. Spatial variation was assessed using the DICE similarity coefficient (DSC) and the directed Hausdorff average distance (d→ H,avg ). The effect of spatial variation on doses was assessed using six different breast cancer regimens., Results: The atlas enabled contouring of 15 cardiac segments. Inter-observer contour overlap (mean DSC) was 0.60-0.73 for five left ventricular segments and 0.10-0.53 for ten coronary arterial segments. Inter-observer contour separation (mean d→ H,avg ) was 1.5-2.2mm for left ventricular segments and 1.3-5.1mm for coronary artery segments. This spatial variation resulted in <1Gy dose variation for most regimens and segments, but 1.2-21.8Gy variation for segments close to a field edge., Conclusions: This cardiac atlas enables reproducible contouring of segments of the left ventricle and main coronary arteries to facilitate future studies relating cardiac radiation doses to clinical outcomes., (Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Survivors of teenage and young adult cancer are acknowledged as understudied. Little is known about their long-term adverse health risks, particularly of cardiac disease that is increased in other cancer populations where cardiotoxic treatments have been used., Methods: The Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Survivor Study cohort comprises 200 945 5-year survivors of cancer diagnosed at 15 to 39 years of age in England and Wales from 1971 to 2006, and followed to 2014. Standardized mortality ratios, absolute excess risks, and cumulative risks were calculated., Results: Two thousand sixteen survivors died of cardiac disease. For all cancers combined, the standardized mortality ratios for all cardiac diseases combined was greatest for individuals diagnosed at 15 to 19 years of age (4.2; 95% confidence interval, 3.4-5.2) decreasing to 1.2 (95% confidence interval, 1.1-1.3) for individuals aged 35 to 39 years (2P for trend <0.0001). Similar patterns were observed for both standardized mortality ratios and absolute excess risks for ischemic heart disease, valvular heart disease, and cardiomyopathy. Survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma, acute myeloid leukaemia, genitourinary cancers other than bladder cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, lung cancer, leukaemia other than acute myeloid, central nervous system tumour, cervical cancer, and breast cancer experienced 3.8, 2.7, 2.0, 1.7, 1.7, 1.6, 1.4, 1.3 and 1.2 times the number of cardiac deaths expected from the general population, respectively. Among survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma aged over 60 years, almost 30% of the total excess number of deaths observed were due to heart disease., Conclusions: This study of over 200 000 cancer survivors shows that age at cancer diagnosis was critical in determining subsequent cardiac mortality risk. For the first time, risk estimates of cardiac death after each cancer diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 39 years have been derived from a large population-based cohort with prolonged follow-up. The evidence here provides an initial basis for developing evidence-based follow-up guidelines., (© 2016 The Authors.)

Purpose: The optimum dose and fractionation in radiation therapy of curative intent for non-small cell lung cancer remains uncertain. We undertook a published data meta-analysis of randomized trials to examine whether radiation therapy regimens with higher time-corrected biologically equivalent doses resulted in longer survival, either when given alone or when given with chemotherapy., Methods and Materials: Eligible studies were randomized comparisons of 2 or more radiation therapy regimens, with other treatments identical. Median survival ratios were calculated for each comparison and pooled., Results: 3795 patients in 25 randomized comparisons of radiation therapy dose were studied. The median survival ratio, higher versus lower corrected dose, was 1.13 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-1.22) when radiation therapy was given alone and 0.83 (95% CI 0.71-0.97) when it was given with concurrent chemotherapy (P for difference=.001). In comparisons of radiation therapy given alone, the survival benefit increased with increasing dose difference between randomized treatment arms (P for trend=.004). The benefit increased with increasing dose in the lower-dose arm (P for trend=.01) without reaching a level beyond which no further survival benefit was achieved. The survival benefit did not differ significantly between randomized comparisons where the higher-dose arm was hyperfractionated and those where it was not. There was heterogeneity in the median survival ratio by geographic region (P<.001), average age at randomization (P<.001), and year trial started (P for trend=.004), but not for proportion of patients with squamous cell carcinoma (P=.2)., Conclusions: In trials with concurrent chemotherapy, higher radiation therapy doses resulted in poorer survival, possibly caused, at least in part, by high levels of toxicity. Where radiation therapy was given without chemotherapy, progressively higher radiation therapy doses resulted in progressively longer survival, and no upper dose level was found above which there was no further benefit. These findings support the consideration of further radiation therapy dose escalation trials, making use of modern treatment methods to reduce toxicity., (Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose: We evaluated the accuracy of three methods of estimating radiation dose to the heart from two-dimensional tangential radiotherapy for breast cancer, as used in Denmark during 1982-2002., Material and Methods: Three tangential radiotherapy regimens were reconstructed using CT-based planning scans for 40 patients with left-sided and 10 with right-sided breast cancer. Setup errors and organ motion were simulated using estimated uncertainties. For left-sided patients, mean heart dose was related to maximum heart distance in the medial field., Results: For left-sided breast cancer, mean heart dose estimated from individual CT-scans varied from <1Gy to >8Gy, and maximum dose from 5 to 50Gy for all three regimens, so that estimates based only on regimen had substantial uncertainty. When maximum heart distance was taken into account, the uncertainty was reduced and was comparable to the uncertainty of estimates based on individual CT-scans. For right-sided breast cancer patients, mean heart dose based on individual CT-scans was always <1Gy and maximum dose always <5Gy for all three regimens., Conclusions: The use of stored individual simulator films provides a method for estimating heart doses in left-tangential radiotherapy for breast cancer that is almost as accurate as estimates based on individual CT-scans., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.)

Purpose: To compare the effect of breast cancer radiotherapy as estimated from observational data with findings from randomized trials., Materials and Methods: Rate ratios were obtained for selected end points among 13,932 women randomly assigned to receive radiotherapy or not in trials contributing to recent meta-analyses by the Early Breast Cancer Trialists' Collaborative Group. Estimates of the same quantities were derived for 393,840 women registered with breast cancer in the US SEER registries between 1973 and 2008., Results: In the randomized trials, radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery reduced mortality from both breast cancer (rate ratio, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.75 to 0.90) and all causes (rate ratio, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.86 to 0.99). Reductions of similar magnitude were seen in the trials of radiotherapy after mastectomy in node-positive disease (rate ratios, breast cancer 0.84; 95% CI, 0.76 to 0.94; all causes, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.81 to 0.97). In the observational data, radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery was associated with much larger mortality reductions (rate ratios, breast cancer, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.62 to 0.66; all causes, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.62 to 0.65), whereas radiotherapy after mastectomy in node-positive disease was associated with substantial increases in mortality (rate ratios, breast cancer, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.31 to 1.37; all causes, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.22 to 1.25). Detailed adjustment of the observational data for potential confounders did not reduce the divergence from the randomized data., Conclusion: This study of mortality after radiotherapy for breast cancer found strikingly divergent results between the Early Breast Cancer Trialists' Collaborative Group meta-analyses of randomized data and the SEER observational data, even when efforts had been made to remove confounding and selection biases. Nonrandomized comparisons are liable to provide misleading estimates of treatment effects. Therefore, they need careful justification every time they are used., (© 2016 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.)