Diabetes mellitus as a late effect of the treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma.1
Two recent follow-up studies of childhood cancer patients who had been treated with abdominal radiation revealed an increased risk of diabetes mellitus (DM) in the survivors. In the past, many patients with a diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) were also treated with infradiaphragmatic radiation. The para-aortic and splenic fields used for this treatment encompasses most of the pancreas, including the tail. Since diabetes is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, it is conceivable that an increase in diabetes in survivors of HL might contribute to their increased risk of cardiovascular disease. In this recent study of adults, the results of the treatment of 2,352 Dutch 5-year survivors of HL treatment who were younger than 51 years at the time of diagnosis were analyzed. Detailed records of their treatment and late effects of treatment were obtained, including information about DM, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, and obesity. Radiation dose to the pancreas was estimated.
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