Risk even higher for survivors treated with radiotherapy
TUESDAY, June 30, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Survivors of hematologic cancers are at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a study published online June 22 in BMC Cancer.
Siqing Liu, from Hangzhou Normal University in China, and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis to summarize the evidence regarding the association between leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in relation to later risk of CVD.
Based upon 50 studies (550,385 participants), spanning 1940 to 2020 for leukemia and 1940 to 2016 for both Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the researchers found that the pooled fully adjusted risk for CVD was elevated, including for total CVD (relative risk [RR]: 2.68) , ischemic heart disease (RR, 1.46), heart failure (RR, 4.13), and stroke (RR, 3.05) associated with leukemia. For Hodgkin lymphoma or non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivors, there were similar positive associations. Compared with survivors who underwent chemotherapy (RR, 2.12), radiotherapy-treated survivors had a greater risk of CVD (RR, 4.06).
“Our research raises awareness among cancer survivors about their risk of heart disease and encourages health care providers to emphasize preventive measures,” the authors write.
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