RE: Study Finds Increased Lung Cancer Risk Following Treatment fo r Hodgkin's Disease

["Dukelow, James S Jr" <jim.dukelow@PNL.GOV>]

John Jacobus passed along to us:

-----Original Message-----

From: Jacobus, John (OD/ORS) [mailto:jacobusj@ors.od.nih.gov]

Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2002 9:21 AM

To: RadSafe

Subject: Study Finds Increased Lung Cancer Risk Following Treatment for

Ho dgkin's Disease





I received this from another mailing list and thought I would pass it along.



-- John 



   <snip>



National Institutes of Health:

	NCI Press Office (301) 496-6641

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE

	4pm EST

	Tuesday, February 5, 2002



  Study Finds Increased Lung Cancer Risk Following

          Treatment for Hodgkin's Disease



People with Hodgkin's disease (HD) who receive

chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or a combination of the two

treatments, are at higher risk of developing lung cancer,

according to a report in the Feb. 6, 2002, issue of the

Journal of the National Cancer Institute.* The study also

finds a higher risk for lung cancer among smokers treated

with both radiotherapy and chemotherapy.



"It was the combined effect of smoking and treatment that

accounted for the bulk of lung cancers in this study,

underscoring the importance of smoking cessation in the

management of patients with Hodgkin's disease," the

authors conclude. "It is clear that the tremendous

improvement in the treatment of HD far outweighs any

therapy-related risks of lung cancers, especially when

compared with the enormous burden imposed by tobacco,"

said Lois Travis, M.D., Sc.D., of the National Cancer

Institute's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics

in Bethesda, Md., and first author of the study.



   <snip>



For this study, the researchers looked at many different

factors, but focused on three main measures: the type and

cumulative amount of chemotherapy drugs, the radiation

dose, and tobacco use. All three exposures contributed

significantly to elevated lung cancer risks. Tobacco use,

chemotherapy, and radiotherapy doses of five Gray (Gy) or

more were reported in 96 percent, 63 percent, and 53

percent of case subjects (those who developed lung

cancer), respectively, and in 70 percent, 52 percent, and

41 percent of patients who did not develop lung cancer.



Subjects who received either radiotherapy alone or

chemotherapy with drugs called alkylating agents

experienced a significantly increased risk of lung cancer.

And when researchers looked at the group of patients who

received both alkylating agents and radiotherapy, the

numbers showed risks that were additive.



   <snip>



=================



Jim Dukelow comments:



Something is strange here -- or, perhaps, I am missing something.



It is reported that of the 444 control subjects (all of whom had been

treated for HD and had not developed lung cancer), 52% are reported to have

had chemotherapy and 41% reported to have had radiotherapy.  And the missing

7% -- "Take two aspirin and call me in the morning"?



Also, the press release talks about patients who received radiotherapy ALONE

or chemotherapy with drugs called alkylating agents [with an implied ALONE

there also] having so much of a risk increase.  This is disingenuous, since

96% of the "cases" -- those with lung cancer -- were smokers.



Best regards.



Jim Dukelow

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Richland, WA

jim.dukelow@pnl.gov



These comments are mine and have not been reviewed and/or approved by my

management or by the U.S. Department of Energy.

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