Cardiac disease following treatment of Hodgkin's disease in children and adolescents.

Abstract

Mediastinal radiation of 40 to 45 Gy increases the risk of death from coronary artery and other cardiac diseases. The risk increases within 5 years of irradiation. These observations support combined-modality, low-dose irradiation regimens in children and adolescents and suggest the need for careful cardiac screening of treated patients.