International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Nov 1996
Myocardial damage in breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant radiotherapy: a prospective study.
To look for early and late signs of cardiac side effects of postoperative radiotherapy in patients with left-sided breast cancer. ⋯ In this study half of the patients exhibited new scintigraphic defects that indicate radiation-induced myocardial damage, probably affecting the microcirculation. There were no changes on electrocardiography or any deterioration of the left ventricular function at this stage. Long-term follow-up is necessary to assess whether this finding is a prognostic sign for developing radiation-induced coronary artery disease.