Electrocardiographic changes following radiation therapy for breast carcinoma

ECG changes were detected in 2 out of 40 [5%] selected females with carcinoma of the breast and receiving postoperative radiation therapy. None of the 20 patients with carcinoma of the right breast developed ECG changes following irradiation, while 2 patients out of 20 [10%] with carcinoma of the left breast showed inverted T-wave; in leads I, a VL and V2-V6 in one case and in V2-V3 in the other case, following postoperative irradiation. The site of the primary tumor, distribution of radiation fields, type of surgery and type of radiation energy [Co60 or DXR] were found to affect the volume and radiation dose reaching the heart