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Exposure to low-dose radiation and the risk of breast cancer among women with a familial or genetic predisposition: a meta-analysis

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Abstract

Background:

Women with familial or genetic aggregation of breast cancer are offered screening outside the population screening programme. However, the possible benefit of mammography screening could be reduced due to the risk of radiation-induced tumours. A systematic search was conducted addressing the question of how low-dose radiation exposure affects breast cancer risk among high-risk women.

Methods:

A systematic search was conducted for articles addressing breast cancer, mammography screening, radiation and high-risk women. Effects of low-dose radiation on breast cancer risk were presented in terms of pooled odds ratios (OR).

Results:

Of 127 articles found, 7 were selected for the meta-analysis. Pooled OR revealed an increased risk of breast cancer among high-risk women due to low-dose radiation exposure (OR = 1.3, 95% CI: 0.9– 1.8). Exposure before age 20 (OR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.3–3.1) or a mean of ≥5 exposures (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1–3.0) was significantly associated with a higher radiation-induced breast cancer risk.

Conclusion:

Low-dose radiation increases breast cancer risk among high-risk women. When using low-dose radiation among high-risk women, a careful approach is needed, by means of reducing repeated exposure, avoidance of exposure at a younger age and using non-ionising screening techniques.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Mr. David Goldgar on behalf of the IBCCS study for providing additional information for the subgroup analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Marijke C. Jansen-van der Weide, Marcel J. W. Greuter & Ruud M. Pijnappel

  2. Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Marijke C. Jansen-van der Weide & Geertruida H. de Bock

  3. Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Liesbeth Jansen

  4. Department of Clinical Genetics, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Jan C. Oosterwijk

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  1. Marijke C. Jansen-van der Weide
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  2. Marcel J. W. Greuter
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  6. Geertruida H. de Bock
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Correspondence to Marijke C. Jansen-van der Weide.

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Jansen-van der Weide, M.C., Greuter, M.J.W., Jansen, L. et al. Exposure to low-dose radiation and the risk of breast cancer among women with a familial or genetic predisposition: a meta-analysis. Eur Radiol 20, 2547–2556 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-010-1839-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-010-1839-y

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