Increased Cancer Risk Following Use of Radium-224

To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title: Increased Cancer Risk Following Use of Radium-224
URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/2242FE.htm
Doctor's Guide
June 24, 2008

NEUHERBERG, Germany -- June 24, 2008 -- Ankylosing spondylitis is a painful chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease, associated with stiffening of the vertebral column. Between 100,000 and 150,000 cases have already been diagnosed in Germany, but milder forms of the disease may remain undiagnosed.

Researchers conducted a long-term follow-up study of 1,471 ankylosing spondylitis patients, whose disease symptoms were treated with repeated intravenous injections of 224Radium. A control cohort of 1,324 ankylosing spondylitis patients treated without the use of radioactive compounds and/or x-rays was also studied.

In this study an elevated rate of leukaemias was seen. In all, 19 observed cases of leukaemia were documented compared with 6.8 cases that would be expected in an age- and gender-matched cohort of a normal population. In particular, the incidence of acute myeloid leukaemia was significantly increased with 7.0 cases compared with 1.8 cases expected in a "normal" population.

Furthermore, 4 additional cases of preleukaemic diseases of the bone marrow were present in the exposed group and no cases were in the control group. The frequency of leukaemia was not increased significantly in the control group compared with the expected value for a normal population.

"It is rather unlikely that impurities present in the radium preparations used before 1950 are responsible for the elevated appearance of myeloproliferative diseases in the exposed group observed here," commented Roland R. Wick, MD, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany. "In addition, the increased incidence of leukaemia is in line with experimental observations involving the treatment of animals with similar alpha-emitting radioisotopes."

The results of these studies by the German Research Center for Environmental Health have contributed decisively to 224Radium preparations being declared obsolete and have resulted in the revocation of the licensing of SpondylAT by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices and the decision by the license holders to discontinue development of the treatment.

SOURCE: Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health

http://www.docguide.com

Return to News Story Page

webmaster@pslgroup.com