Acne therapy causes cancer

Press, 18 February 1978, Page 17

Acne therapy causes cancer

PA Auckland' if A treatment given for acne.i 30 years ago is now causing il thyroid cancer in an un- i known number of New Zea-i landers. The treatment — radiationP therapy — was also used oni‘ 'children and adolescents with? tear discharges. I An Auckland Hospital-! study of 120 persons who (underwent the treatment has? | resulted in one person as! 1 I being treated for thvroid can- ( icer. Four other persons in the? survey may also require sur-' gerv, according to the doctor,h heading the study. Dr M.u Croxson. Further tests were neces-l! sary before it could be firmly) established that surgery was , necessary, he said. If the final tests showedit that five persons out of a t study of 120 had thvroid cmcer the hospital would prob- f ably decide that a wider t check was warranted. t

The hospital Had records tof the persons treated with radiation therapy, but was [having difficulty tn tracing 'many of them. i A further problem was Ithat, as the trea'ment had !been carried out on children land ado escents, many would! 'not remember ha/ing it. The hospital will rest a (total of i'o persons in the (pilot study, and hopes to (have it completed wi.hin two 'months. The Auckland Hosni’alj (study comes after overseas! (evidence that the treatment! ican cause cancer. A recent “New Zealand! (Medical Journal’’ edito-ial paid that, although the risk 'of thyroid disease from the (therapy was 10 times r hei !normal nsk, only z small (proportion of those exposed would have it, and their (chances o' success;ul treat-] ment weie good. “There are ample grounds for rea;suring these patients, their families an<' their doctors,” the editorial said.