Adult survivors of childhood cancers are now less likely to experience certain cardiac events because changes to treatment protocols have reduced exposure to radiation, a study shows.

Analysis of data on cancer survivors treated in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s show that the incidence of coronary artery disease and heart failure has declined in recent years but no change was seen with arrhythmias, valvular disease or pericardial disease.

This follows reductions in the use and dosage of cardiac radiation and increased reliance on chemotherapy with anthracyclines, the US researchers say.

Data from more than 23,400 five-year survivors from the retrospective hospital-based Childhood Cancer Survivor Study — 26% treated in the 1970s, 40% in the 1980s and 34% in the 1990s — was analysed to determine the impact of changes to contemporary cancer protocols on major cardiac outcome.