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The Julien Birchell ( effects of radiotheraphy on the heart in breast cancer patients)
11th April 2011
Title: Measuring cardiac tissue damage and biological ageing post breast cancer radiotherapy
Awarded to: Julian Barwell
Department of Genetics, University of Leicester
Commencement: June 2011
Clinical problem: The long term health of breast cancer radiotherapy survivors can be affected by radiation induced heart disease.
We have measured the effect of radiation on the heart in breast cancer patients receiving radiotherapy. This has shown alterations in blood flow in four out of ten patients six weeks post radiotherapy in association with changes in the way that white cells in the blood respond in the laboratory to radiation (showing evidence of marked ageing).
A Hope grant will help us to repeat this cardiac imaging and blood tests one year post radiotherapy. In a new patient cohort we aim to measure changes to the white cell populations post radiotherapy alongside levels of the breakdown products from damaged cells in urine throughout radiotherapy.
Our aim is to measure cardiac damage one year post radiotherapy and help determine if this can be predicted with blood and urine tests.
This study will help determine if we can understand why some breast cancer patients receiving radiotherapy go on to be at an increased risk of developing heart disease compared with other patients receiving the same radiation dose.
Scientific version available on request
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