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08 July 2008

Answer to Question #3539 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Pregnancy and Radiation — Conception after exposures

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

I just finished four weeks of radiation treatment to the neck area for nonhodgkins lymphoma in January. My last menstruation was 6 February. I took a pregnancy test and it was positive. What might be the effects of the radiation on the fetus?

From the information you provided, only a generic response is possible. Your radiation exposure occurred before conception, so any effect on your offspring would be classed as a genetic effect. No data from humans show any statistically significant genetic effect in any population, even the Japanese atomic bomb survivors. All of our estimates of genetic radiation risk come from studies of rodents, which show that males are far more sensitive than females. However, it is not easy to extrapolate this data to humans. All we can say is that there is very little chance of any effect on your unborn child.

The World Health Organization estimates that the worldwide incidence of inherited disease (ranging from severe to as trivial as an inconspicuous birthmark) is about 10%. In the unfortunate event that your child is born with any genetic abnormality, it is extremely unlikely that it would be related to your radiation exposures.

For more specific information, you should consult with your radiation oncologist.

S.Julian Gibbs, DDS, PhD

Answer posted on 12 March 2004. The information and material posted on this Web site is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Web site. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.