An international study published in BMJ online included almost 2000 women with BRCA faults from the Netherlands, France, and the UK between 2006 and 2009. Researchers sought to determine if variations in DNA increased the risk of breast cancer after a patient’s exposure to low doses of radiation.
According to study results, women under 30 with BRCA faults who were exposed to chest X-rays and other radiation procedures were 43% more likely to develop breast cancer, compared with women carrying the same faults who were not exposed. Yet, this increased risk did not pertain to procedures performed in women over 30.
“BRCA genes help repair DNA damage – damage which can be caused by exposure to radiation like X-rays. Women with faults in these genes are less able to repair damage caused by radiation, so they are at a greater risk of developing breast cancer. It’s important that these women and their doctors are aware of this,” said study author, Professor Douglas Easton, a Cancer Research UK scientist at the University of Cambridge.
Source: University of Cambridge.