Cardiac radiation exposure and incident cancer: challenges and opportunities.

This article focuses on the relationship between ionizing radiation exposure from radiological procedures in cardiology and the associated cancer risk. It highlights that cardiology patients often receive substantial radiation doses, which increase lifetime cancer risk in a dose-dependent manner according to the linear no-threshold model. Epidemiological and biological evidence suggests increased incidence of cancers—particularly lung cancer, leukemia, and breast cancer—in patients undergoing repeated or high-dose cardiac imaging and interventions such as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and endovascular repair. The article emphasizes the need for improved radiation dose tracking, longer follow-up in clinical trials, and inclusion of cancer incidence as a prespecified endpoint to better understand and mitigate these risks. It also outlines current radiation protection strategies and calls for multidisciplinary collaboration to optimize patient safety while balancing clinical benefits.