Radiotherapy to patients with artificial cardiac pacemakers

Summary 

Background

The in vitro studies show that the modern cardiac pacemakers utilising the complementary metal-oxide semi-conductor (CMOS) circuitry can be adversely affected by therapeutic radiation. However, the published clinical data are sparse regarding the safety of radiotherapy delivery to patients with artificial pacemakers. Despite the potential risk of life threatening complications, there are no national guidelines and most radiotherapy departments have no formal clinical risk management strategy in place. A literature review was performed to assess the risks involved in irradiating patients with pacemakers and to identify strategies, which minimise the risk of pacemaker malfunction. Recommendations for radiotherapy departments are made.

Conclusion

Modern multi-programmable pacemakers are very sensitive to therapeutic megavoltage irradiation. There is no safe radiation threshold for megavoltage radiation. The low energy kilovoltage X-rays used for radiotherapy simulation cause no pacemaker malfunction. Megavoltage radiation can be safely delivered to patients with cardiac pacemakers provided direct irradiation of pacemakers is avoided, adequate monitoring is done during and after irradiation, and the dose to the pacemaker generator is kept below 2 Gy. Close liaison with cardiologists and a pacemaker clinic is essential and radiotherapy departments should have protocols in place to identify and care for cancer patients with pacemakers.

Keywords: Artificial pacemaker, Implantable defibrillators, Radiotherapy, Linear accelerators, Electromagnetic Fields, Radiation damage