Estimation of the Added Cancer Risk Derived From EVAR and CTA Follow-Up

Bharti Singh; Martin Andersson; Andreas Edsfeldt; Björn Sonesson; Mikael Gunnarsson; Nuno V Dias

doi:10.1177/15266028231219435

Estimation of the Added Cancer Risk Derived From EVAR and CTA Follow-Up

J Endovasc Ther. 2023 Dec 22:15266028231219435. doi: 10.1177/15266028231219435. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Bharti Singh^{1

2}, Martin Andersson^{3

4}, Andreas Edsfeldt^{2

5

6}, Björn Sonesson^{1

2}, Mikael Gunnarsson^{4

7}, Nuno V Dias^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Vascular Center Malmö-Lund, Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden.
² Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
³ Department of Radiation Physics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁴ Medical Radiation Physics Malmö, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden.
⁵ Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Skåne, Lund/Malmö, Sweden.
⁶ Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
⁷ Radiation Physics, Department of Hematology, Oncology and Radiation Physics, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden.

PMID: 38140719
DOI: 10.1177/15266028231219435

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the risk of radiation-induced cancer development in patients that have undergone an infrarenal EVAR, stratifying the relative contributions of the procedure and the preoperative and postoperative CTAs.

Methods and materials: The organ-specific absorbed radiation doses from CTA and the EVAR procedure were estimated from the radiation exposures of 95 and 45 male patients, respectively. Lifetime attributable risk (LAR) cancer predictions were calculated for 14 different organs. Life expectancy was assumed from a previous cohort of patients undergoing infra-renal EVAR.

Results: The calculated total excess cancer risk was 0.0046, ie, 1 out of 220 patients will develop a neoplasm after being exposed to the ionizing radiation from the preoperative CTA, the EVAR and annual CTA examinations for 15 years. The procedure and the preoperative CTA contributed with 38% of the total excess risk, while the rest was derived from the follow-up. If the entire CTA based follow-up would have been eliminated, an excess risk of 0.0018 (1/560) would remain.

Conclusions: 1 out of 219 patients who have undergone EVAR of an infra-renal AAA have a lifetime risk of developing cancer secondary to the radiation exposures related to the procedure and the CTAs used preoperatively and during follow-up. This risk derives mostly from the yearly postoperative CTAs, underlining the potential benefits of reducing or replacing their use.

Clinical impact: A simulation-based estimation reinforced the potential deleterious effects of the radiation exposure for patients undergoing Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR) of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA) and subsequently followed by yearly Computer Tomography Angiographies (CTAs). The risk could be as high as 1 out 219 patients developing a neoplasm after 15 years. The largest exposure derives from the follow-up CTAs and efforts to minimize their use as well as the intraoperative radiation are greatly needed. The simulation-based estimations done in this study reinforce potential deleterious effects of the radiation exposure for patients undergoing EVAR of AAA. Efforts should be done to minimize the intraoperative radiation and the number of CTAs used during follow-up.

Keywords: EVAR; follow-up; malignancy; radiation.