According to an article on TIME, scientists think that radiation therapy is an integral part of treatment for breast cancer patients and should not be cast aside, despite it being linked to the increase of heart disease risk.

New England Researchers examined the medical records of 2,168 women who have undergone radiation for breast cancer between 1958 and 2001. A total of 963 participants experienced "major cardiac events" in the 30 years after their treatment.

The risk has been found to be relative to the amount of radiation the heart has been exposed to, and increases within a few years after the initial treatment. The women involved in the study received 4.9 grays, or units of radiation, to the heart. As gray levels increase, there is a 7.4 percent increase in risk of cardiac disease.

But researchers stress that the benefits of radiation for breast cancer still outweigh the disadvantages. With the improvement of technology through the years, less radiation has been used for the treatment, lowering chances of developing heart conditions.

Dr. Javid J. Moslehi from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston who wrote the study's editorial says, "Women should not walk away from this thinking they should not get radiation. It is an integral part of treatment, and it is the reason that right now in the U.S. over 90% of women with breast cancer are cancer-free within five years. There are 3 million survivors today and that number is due to the development of these treatments.”

What breast cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment can do to minimize the risk of heart problems is to live a healthy lifestyle, such as getting the right kind of diet and exercise. A positive outlook can also help in keeping stress away, which, according to a previous article, may cause cancer to metastasize. A healthy body which can withstand the risks of radiation can defeat the Big C faster.

(Photo by Shardayyy via Flickr Creative Commons)