Women in Interventional Cardiology: A Survey of Radiation Exposure and Breast Cancer Occurrence

Background and Aims: Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of cancer in women. Female interventional cardiologists are potentially at a higher risk of developing BC due to occupational radiation exposure. This survey aimed at understanding radiation safety and awareness in current clinical practice, and the occurrence of BC, among female interventional cardiologists.

Methods: A survey was conducted worldwide among 64 cardiac laboratories from September 2022 to December 2022.

Results: 195 physicians (mean age 41.0 ± 7.4 years) completed the survey: 33 (16.9%) reported being exposed to X-ray for less than five years, 78 (40%) between five and ten years and 84 (43.1%) for more than ten years; 13 (6.7%) reported performing less than 50 interventional procedures/year, 52 (26.7%) between 50 and 100 and 130 (66.6%) more than 100 procedures/year. 126 physicians reported wearing three or more radiation dosimeters; 72 reported not using tableside X-ray shielding to protect themselves from direct and scattered radiation. BC occurred in four (2.1%) physicians, all of whom worked in the electrophysiology laboratory for a relatively long time (one with 5–10 years of exposure and three with more than ten years; mean age at cancer presentation was 46.5 ± 3.7 years). All tumours were left-sided BC.

Conclusions: This survey provides a snapshot of occupational radiation exposure of female interventional cardiologists. BC is a possible professional threat in addition to its real-life epidemiology, with a negative impact on women’s lives in interventional laboratories. All possible efforts should be made to eliminate radiation exposure among interventional laboratory workers.