Surveillance - History of Radiation Therapy to the Chest

Radiation therapy may be used in the chest area to treat some forms of cancer. If you have undergone such treatment, close monitoring of your breasts for signs of cancer is very important. It is estimated that approximately 20 percent of women who received chest radiation during childhood develop breast cancer by the age of 45. The radiation is often very successful in eliminating cancerous cells and its benefits outweigh future risks. But sometimes this therapy will cause changes to normal breast cells, which increases the risk of breast cancer years later.

Your doctor will most likely recommend beginning breast cancer screenings at an early age if you have a history of radiation therapy to the chest. The average woman has an initial mammography when she is 40 years old. Due to your increased risk for the disease, it may be suggested that you have an annual mammogram as well as an MRI of the breasts. Your doctor may want to begin this testing as soon as eight years after the radiation has taken place or by the age of 25.