Grant: Operating Grant: Data Analysis Using Existing CDN Databases and Cohorts

Benefitted from cardiac diagnostic and interventional imaging, patients born with heart defects now survive into adulthood. However, they are at increased risk for cancer due to repeated radiation exposure from diagnostic and therapeutic cardiac imaging procedures. The cancer risk might be even higher in children born with heart defects because the younger age of exposure makes them more sensitive to the harmful effect of radiation. In this patient population, those with genetic syndromes might be at increased risk of radiation-induced cancer due to their genetic predisposition. However, this has never been assessed. With this submission, we propose to assess if children with genetic syndromes are more susceptible to the carcinogenic effect of radiation from cardiac imaging procedures. The study findings will provide scientific evidence for identifying high risk patients for cancer and suggest effective cancer surveillance.