Mantle radiation for Hodgkin Lymphoma

Mantle Radiation was a radiation technique used to treat Hodgkin Lymphoma from the 1970s to the 1990s. It is rarely used today, as chemotherapy is the preferred treatment.

A patient with Hodgkin Lymphoma would receive radiation to a large area of the upper body (neck, chest, armpits) to cover all the lymph node areas. The radiation would also affect the breast, heart and lungs. Follow-up studies found that patients (especially those under 40 years) exposed to mantle radiation have a higher risk of breast cancer later in life.

It is therefore recommended that women who received mantle radiation under the age of 40 years have annual screening mammograms with the program, when they reach an age eligible to screen.

For further information see What Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivors Should Know About Mantle Radiation and Breast Cancer Risk | Cancer.Net