According to a study presented at the 2008 meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the use of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for treatment of prostate cancer is associated with a twofold increase in the risk of developing acute myeloid leukemia (AML).¹

Radiation is a well known cause of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and secondary AML. However, the risk of MDS or secondary AML in men treated with EBRT has not been extensively explored.

The current study utilized the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 9 (SEER9) data base. This data base included 177,389 persons of whom 248 had AML. They found that men with prostate cancer treated with EBRT, surgery, or both had a greater risk for developing AML than a control population. The following table summarizes the main findings of this trial in terms of relative risk of developing AML—compared with control patients—at three time periods:

These authors concluded that EBRT increased the risk of AML compared with a control population or with men with prostate cancer treated with surgery. The risk of AML appears to peak at five years.

Comments: These are interesting findings; however, the absolute risk of developing AML is still very small in patients receiving EBRT. These data should be included in discussing the potential risks of radiation therapy compared with surgery for treatment of prostate cancer.

Related News:

Growth Factors May Increase Risk of Secondary AML and MDS in Post-Menopausal Women Receiving Adjuvant Chemotherapy (02/09/2007)

Low and High Dose Radiation to Chest Linked with Increased Breast Cancer Risk (4/12/2007)

Radiation During Childhood Increases Risk of Thyroid Cancer (6/14/2005)

Reference:

¹ Ojha RP, Thertulien Y, Zhou Y, et al. Prostate cancer treatment and risk of acute myeloid leukemia in a population-based prospective study. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2008;26:abstract 5073.