Radiation and Breast Cancer Risk

Everyone is exposed to background cosmic ionising radiation in our environment.  Excess ionising radiation is known to damage the DNA in cells and this can lead to cancer. The risk of cancer is related to the amount of radiation received during your life and the age that this occurs, As well as background radiation, radiation exposure specifically to the breast area can occur through medical investigations such as chest X-rays and chest CT scans.

Radiotherapy treatments to the chest area can affect the breast tissue and can  increase the risk of future breast cancer. This radiation exposure at a younger age is related to an increased risk of breast cancer in the future.

There are people working in certain occupations who are exposed to higher doses of radiation. One example is flight crew and air stewardesses. Aircraft fly at high altitudes where the protection from cosmic radiation by the earth’s atmosphere is considerably reduced, The incidence of breast cancer in cabin crew is higher than in the general population and radiation exposure may be a contributing factor alongside alterations in circadian rhythms.