Radiation oncologists questioned by Hodgkin's lymphoma patients undergoing chest radiation therapy (RT) about their future ability to breastfeed can now reference a study published online in Cancer: Results showed that survivors had a breastfeeding success rate comparable to that of the general population of mothers.
The patient cohort size, however, was small, representing only 83 of 258 women who responded to a questionnaire sent to a total of 1,023 men and women. These individuals received treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma between 1969 and 1996 at Children's Hospital Boston, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, all located in Boston. A total of 388 siblings were also sent the survey. Of the 58% of siblings who responded, 111 were women (Cancer, July 13, 2010).
The study evaluated the responses of the 83 women, who reported that they had given birth to at least one child, and compared their breastfeeding efforts with a cohort of 70 sisters who reported the same. These survivors had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma at a median age of 23, although some were as young as 14 and as old as 40. The median age when the cancer survivors and their sisters gave birth was 29 and 26, respectively, and the majority (59%) of cancer survivors did so in the 1990s.
The 83 survivors had 141 live births, and they made 94 attempts to breastfeed, 61% of which were successful. Their 70 sisters also had 141 live births and made 94 attempts to breastfeed, of which 79% were successful. Overall, 60 survivors attempted to breastfeed and 62% were successful at least one time, whereas 53 of their siblings did the same, with a success rate of 75%, reported lead author Laura McCullough, MD, of Dana-Farber's department of pediatric oncology, and colleagues.
Of the 22 women younger than 21 when they were diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, 68% succeeded in breastfeeding. Six of eight women who received treatment at ages 14 to 16 and who attempted to breastfeed also succeeded.
The success of the 83 women is higher than what has been previously reported for breast cancer survivors. The authors attributed this to lower doses of radiation to breast tissue for the Hodgkin's lymphoma survivors, compared with doses used in breast cancer treatment. The median chest radiation therapy dose received by the Hodgkin's lymphoma patients was 41 Gy, with a range of 27 to 46 Gy. The authors suggested that success rates will continue to improve, reflecting current use of radiation therapies that are more focused and expose the breast tissue to less radiation.
More studies should be conducted to include more objective measures of breastfeeding success, such as infant weight gain and milk volume and content, according to the authors. Their study size was small, they also noted, and it represents self-reported and possibly inaccurate information provided only by Hodgkin's lymphoma survivors motivated to complete a 500-part questionnaire.
By Cynthia E. Keen
AuntMinnie.com staff writer
July 30, 2010
Related Reading
Limiting radiation field cuts risk of breast cancer in Hodgkin's survivors, August 11, 2009
Female Hodgkin's survivors have greater risk of secondary cancer, October 28, 2008
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